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expliquer

Etymology and origin of the French word expliquer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
14th century, Chronique de Flandre (soi expliquer)
Borrowed from
Latin explico
Ultimate origin
Latin (plicō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin plico
Latin explico
French expliquer

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛks.pli.ke/[1]
  • IPA: /ɛk.spli.ke/[1]
  • IPA: /ɛs.pli.ke/[1]

Forms

expliquer[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin explicō (“to unroll, unfold; to set out clearly”), formed from ex-, reversing the action, and plicō (“to fold”).[2][3][4][5][6] “Plicō” is an intensive of plectō (“to plait, twine”).[3] It is a learned word: the inherited form is “esployer”, now éployer, of which it is a doublet.[7][1]

Compare Spanish explicar and Italian esplicare.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first known use, the reflexive soi expliquer in a 14th-century chronicle of Flanders, is obscure and may mean “to develop”; about 1450 it means “to make clear” in the Mystère du Viel Testament.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century it meant “to make something understood by setting it out”, and Bloch and Wartburg note that the literal “to unfold” was still used then.[3][4] S'expliquer “to become understandable” is in Montaigne (1580); “to state one's thoughts” and “to give reasons” are in Corneille (1651), and “to clear up a misunderstanding” from 1662.[3] The school sense, translating or commenting on a text, belongs to the same period.[3][8] Related borrowings are explication (1322), explicable (1554) and explicite (1488); explicatif (1587) and expliciter (1870) were formed in French.[4]

Timeline

  • 14th century – Soi expliquer in a chronicle of Flanders.[2]
  • 1322 – Explication.[4]
  • c. 1450 – “To make clear”.[2]
  • 1580 – S'expliquer in Montaigne.[3]
  • 1651 – “To state one's thoughts”, in Corneille.[3]
  • 1870 – Expliciter.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To explain, make clear: expliquer un problème.[8][1]
  2. To set out in detail: expliquer ses projets.[9][8]
  3. To account for: cela explique son retard.[8]
  4. To comment on (a text) in class: expliquer un poème.[8]
  5. S'expliquer: to explain oneself; to have it out; to be understandable.[3]

Word family

  • explicatif
  • inexpliqué
  • expliciter
  • explication
  • explicable
  • inexplicable
  • explicite
  • plier
  • éployer
  • English explicate

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 310b
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Expliquer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/expliquer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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