Etymologically
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râler

Etymology and origin of the French word râler

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1456, rasler
Ultimate origin
Latin (rādō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁa.le/[1]
  • IPA: /ʁɑ.le/[1]

Forms

râler[1] Rasler (1456), raller (1549); the circumflex dates from the 18th century (Académie 1740).[2][3]

Etymology

It is the French doublet of racler, which is of southern origin;[2][4][3][5] the FEW files it under Vulgar Latin *rasclare.[5] The original sense “to scrape” survives in the dialect verbs “éraler” and “déraler” “to graze, skin”.[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record (1456, Scène de l'aveugle et de son valet) has rasler “to haggle, bargain”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Robert Estienne (1549) records raller for the hoarse sound made in breathing when the airways are obstructed, especially in the dying;[2][3] the noun râle “death rattle” follows in 1611.[4][3] By analogy it is used of the cry of a stag in rut (1690).[2][3] The sense “to haggle” was taken up again in the 19th century (1841).[2]

The modern familiar sense “to grumble, complain” appears in Barbusse in 1916, in soldiers' speech,[2][3] with râleur “grumbler” (1920–1923) and râlant “infuriating” (about 1930).[3]

Timeline

  • 1456 – Rasler “to haggle”.[2]
  • 1549 – Raller “to rattle in the throat”, in Estienne.[2]
  • 1611 – The noun râle.[3]
  • 1690 – Of a stag's cry.[2]
  • 1916 – “To grumble”, in Barbusse.[2]
  • 1923 – Râleur “grumbler”.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To breathe with a rattle in the throat, especially when dying.[6][7]
  2. Of certain animals, to bell or cry: un chevreuil qui râle.[6][8]
  3. (familiar) To grumble, complain, moan: faire râler qqn.[6][7]

Word family

  • râle
  • râleur
  • râlant
  • racler

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 83b
  6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Râler.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/r%C3%A2ler. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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