Etymologically
Log in

interroger

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 13:00. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛ̃.tɛ.ʁɔ.ʒe/[1]
  • IPA: /ɛ̃.te.ʁɔ.ʒe/[1]

Forms

interroger[1] First interroguer (1355), remade as interroger in 1399.[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin interrogō (“to ask; to question; to bring to trial”),[2][3][4][5][6][1] which first meant “to ask the opinions of several people”, then “to question one person”, with legal and philosophical uses.[3][5] It is formed from inter- and rogō (“to address; to ask”) (see rogatoire), probably related to regō (“to rule”).[3]

The inherited Old French outcome was enterver “to question; to understand” (about 1165), which the learned verb, supported by the rest of its family, eliminated; it survived in slang for “to understand” from Villon to the 18th century and became, by metathesis, entraver (1725).[3][2][4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

An ordinance of 12 March 1355 has interrogueront in a legal context, the questioning of persons about their wealth and households.[2]

Semantic evolution

The verb kept the Latin sense “to question someone”, first in law and then in general use.[3] Rabelais (1532) has se interroguer “to wonder”, and Diderot (before 1784) s'interroger “to question oneself”.[2][3] Racine (Iphigénie, 1674) uses it for examining a thing to find an answer: Des victimes vous-même interrogez le flanc.[2][3] Furetière (1690) records the school sense, an examiner questioning a pupil.[2]

Its learned family includes interrogatoire (1327), interrogation (13th century) and interrogatif (1507).[4][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1165 – The inherited form enterver.[2]
  • 1327 – interrogatoire.[4]
  • 1355 – Interroguer, legal.[2]
  • 1399 – The form interroger, at Lille.[2]
  • 1532 – Se interroguer, Rabelais.[2]
  • 1674 – “To examine for an answer”, Racine.[2]
  • 1690 – School sense, Furetière.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To question, interrogate: interroger un témoin, un prévenu.[7][1]
  2. To ask someone for information: interroger quelqu'un sur ses intentions.[7]
  3. To examine a pupil or candidate orally.[2][7]
  4. To examine a thing closely for an answer.[2][8]
  5. S'interroger: to wonder, ask oneself.[2][3]
  • interrogation
  • interrogatoire
  • interrogatif
  • entraver
  • rogatoire

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b 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. 4, 761b
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse