Etymologically
Log in

entraîner

Etymology and origin of the French word entraîner

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1160–1174, Wace (en traiiner)
Ultimate origin
Latin (trahō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French traîner
French entraîner

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.tʁɛ.ne/[1]
  • IPA: /ɑ̃.tʁe.ne/[1]

Forms

entraîner[1] The rectified spelling entrainer is also used.[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French en- + traîner.[2][3][4][5][1][6] “Traîner” goes back to Vulgar Latin *tragīnō, formed on a variant of Latin trahō (“to pull, drag”).[7][1]

The sporting sense “to train” (1828) was formed under the influence of English train, which had meant “to educate” since 1542 and “to train an animal” since 1609, itself borrowed from French “traîner”.[2][3][5][8] Littré gave this sense its own entry.[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Roman de Rou (1160–1174) has en traiiner “to drag along with oneself”, its only sense until the 16th century.[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In 1538 Robert Estienne records it with a thing as subject, “to carry off by force”, whence “to pull downwards” (1690) and later the mechanical sense.[3][5] With a person as object it came to mean leading someone into doing something (1643, La Rochefoucauld), as in se laisser entraîner, and with an abstract subject “to entail” (before 1654).[2][3]

Racing borrowed the English sense for training horses (1828), then athletes, with s'entraîner (1872) and figurative uses from Taine (1865).[2][3] In cycling it also meant pacing a rider with a motorcycle (1885).[3]

Timeline

  • 1160–1174 – En traiiner, Wace.[2]
  • 1538 – “To carry off by force”, Robert Estienne.[3]
  • 1643 – To lead someone into doing something, La Rochefoucauld.[2]
  • before 1654 – “To entail”.[2]
  • 1828 – To train a horse, Journal des haras.[2]
  • 1865 – “To practise”, Taine.[2]
  • 1872 – S'entraîner.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To carry along, sweep away: le courant entraîne le navire, (mechanics) to drive: moteur qui entraîne une machine.[10][1]
  2. To lead, take along (a person): il l'entraîna vers le buffet.[10]
  3. To draw (someone) into, influence: se laisser entraîner.[3][10]
  4. To bring about, entail: cela entraîne des frais.[2][1]
  5. To train, coach (an athlete, a team, a horse).[2][1]
  6. S'entraîner: to train, practise.[3][1]

Word family

  • entraînement
  • entraîneur
  • entraînable

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/2, 168b
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 18, 126a
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Entraîner.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/entra%C3%AEner. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·