Etymologically
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régler

Etymology and origin of the French word régler

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1269–1278, Jean de Meun, Roman de la Rose
Ultimate origin
Latin (regō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin rego
Latin surgo
French surgir
Latin regula
French règle
French régler
Latin regularis
English regular
Latin dirigo
French diriger
Latin directio
English direction
French direction
Latin regio
French région
Latin regionalis
English regional

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁe.ɡle/[1]

Forms

régler[1] The Académie wrote regler in 1694 and 1718, régler from 1740.[2] Old French also had ruiler, rieuler, and in the 14th century the learned reguler.[3]

Etymology

It is formed from French règle + -er, from règle “ruler; rule”.[2][4][5][6] Wiktionary allows it to be borrowed from Latin rēgulō instead.[1] The noun is borrowed from Latin rēgula (“ruler, rule”), from regō (“to guide, rule”); it replaced the more popular form rieule, from which comes English rule.[5][3] The Old French verb from the same Latin was riuler.[3]

Cognate with Occitan reglar, Spanish reglar and Italian regolare.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose (1269–78) uses it for governing someone or something: Jupiter, qui le monde regle.[2] A Champagne account of 1288 has it for ruling lines on parchment: pour parchemin et regler rolles et quaiers.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Georges Chastellain (about 1470) has soy régler “to follow the example of” and réglé “disciplined”.[2] Robert Estienne (1538) has reigler sa vie, Corneille (1629) uses it for fixing something in detail, and, from 1654 it means to settle a dispute.[2][6][7] Furetière (1690) records “to pay what one owes”, whence régler son compte à quelqu'un “to settle someone's hash” (1887, Zola).[2] Applied to mechanisms, it is to adjust a clock or machine (late 17th century).[2] Papier réglé “ruled paper” dates from 1640, and réglée “menstruating” from 1575 (Ambroise Paré).[2]

Timeline

  • 1269–1278 – “To govern”, Jean de Meun.[2]
  • 1288 – To rule lines on parchment.[2]
  • c. 1470 – Se régler sur, Georges Chastellain.[2]
  • 1654 – To settle a dispute.[2]
  • 1690 – To pay a debt, Furetière.[2]
  • Late 17th century – To adjust a clock.[2]
  • 1887 – Régler son compte à quelqu'un, Zola.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To settle, resolve: régler un problème, un différend.[1][7]
  2. To pay: régler une facture, l'addition; to pay (someone).[1][2]
  3. To adjust, set: régler une montre, le chauffage.[1][2]
  4. To arrange, fix in detail: régler les détails d'une cérémonie.[2][7]
  5. Régler sur: to model on: régler sa conduite sur quelqu'un, se régler sur.[7][1]
  6. To rule lines on (paper): papier réglé.[7][1]
  7. (familiar) Régler son compte à quelqu'un: to settle someone's hash.[2][1]

Word family

  • réglage
  • règlement
  • réglementer
  • réglable
  • régleur
  • dérégler

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 q r s t 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Régler.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/r%C3%A9gler. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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