réclamer

Forms

réclamer^[1] Old French reclamer, with stressed forms such as reclaime.^[2][3] The accented spelling réclamer dates from the 16th century.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin reclāmō (“to cry out against, protest; to call repeatedly”), from re- and clāmō (“to cry, call out”).^[6][4][2][7] The Latin verb was used especially in legal language.^[2] The accent of the modern spelling reflects a return to the Latin pronunciation in the 16th century; until then reclamer was usual.^[4][2] Wiktionary traces the modern verb through Old French, which took it from Latin.^[1]

Cognate with Occitan reclamar, Spanish reclamar and Italian richiamare.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) meaning “to invoke, pray to” and “to call for (someone)”: Apollin reclaimet “he calls on Apollo”.^[6][3]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to invoke God or a saint” lasted until the 17th century,^[4] while “to call for insistently” became the common one.^[4] From 1219 it meant to claim what one considers one's due,^[6][2] and in law to demand the return of something (1690).^[4] In the classical period it also meant to claim a thing as one's own (1672, Molière) and, with a thing as subject, to require (1675, Bossuet).^[6][4]

In falconry it meant to call the bird back to the fist (about 1160–1175),^[6][4] which gave the noun réclame (1560); that word later became a printers' term (1625) and then the word for advertising (1838).^[2] The reflexive se réclamer de “to claim the protection of” is found in Chrétien de Troyes (about 1175) and comes from legal language, where it meant to appeal to a higher court.^[6][2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – In the Chanson de Roland, “to invoke” and “to call for”.^[6]
• c. 1175 – Used in falconry, se réclamer de in Chrétien de Troyes.^[6]
• 1219 – “To claim as one's due”.^[6][2]
• 16th century – The spelling réclamer.^[4]
• 1672 – Molière uses it for claiming as one's own.^[6]
• 1675 – Bossuet uses it for “to require”.^[6]
• 1690 – Furetière records it in law, for demanding back.^[4][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To ask for insistently, demand: réclamer le silence, réclamer à manger.^[8][1]
2. To claim what one is owed: réclamer son salaire.^[8][3]
3. Of a thing, to require, call for: ce travail réclame de la patience.^[8][6]
4. (intransitive) To complain, protest: réclamer contre une injustice.^[8][3]
5. (dated) To invoke, implore: réclamer la miséricorde divine.^[8][6]
6. Se réclamer de: to invoke someone's name or authority, claim to follow.^[8][6]

Word family

• réclame
• réclamation

Related words

• clamer
• clameur

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
3. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 152a
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert