régner

Forms

régner^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin rēgnō (“to be king; to rule, dominate”), from rēgnum (“kingship, kingdom”).^[2][3][4][5] It was borrowed together with règne, about 980.^[3] Wiktionary gives the Old French form as reignier.^[1] In the 16th century, according to Palsgrave and Bèze, it was pronounced as if spelled ⟨rèner⟩.^[6]

Compare Old Occitan regnar, Spanish reinar and Italian regnare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Vie de saint Léger (second half of the 10th century), meaning to exercise royal power; the Passion of the same period uses it of Christ's spiritual rule.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Used of God from about 1145 (Wace), the verb was extended about 1174, in Étienne de Fougères, to abstract things that hold sway, and in the 13th century to any sovereign authority (régner sur, Corneille, 1650).^[2][3] Weakened further, it came to mean “to be in vogue, prevail” (1669–1681, Bossuet), “to exist, be present somewhere” (1532–1533, Rabelais), with the impersonal il règne (La Bruyère) and, of an epidemic, “to rage” (1731, Voltaire).^[2][3] The ironic la confiance règne ! belongs to the 20th century.^[3][7]

Two political formulas made it famous: Thiers's le roi règne et ne gouverne pas (1830) and diviser pour régner, recorded by Littré in 1864.^[3][7] In architecture it has meant “to run the whole length of” since 1611.^[3]

Timeline

• Second half of the 10th century – In the Vie de saint Léger.^[2]
• c. 1145 – Said of God, in Wace.^[2]
• c. 1174 – Said of abstract things, in Étienne de Fougères.^[2]
• 1532 – “To exist, be present”, in Rabelais.^[2]
• 1611 – Architectural sense, in Cotgrave.^[7][3]
• 1650 – Régner sur in Corneille.^[2]
• 1731 – Said of a disease, in Voltaire.^[2]
• 1830 – Le roi règne et ne gouverne pas, after Thiers.^[3]
• 1864 – Littré records diviser pour régner.^[3][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To reign, to rule as a monarch: régner trente ans.^[8][2] Diviser pour régner: to sow discord among those one governs so that they will not unite.^[8][2]
2. To hold absolute power, to dominate: régner en maître sur la maison.^[8][2]
3. Of things: to have a dominant influence; to be in vogue.^[8][2]
4. To exist, to be present somewhere: un grand calme règne dans la maison.^[8] La confiance règne ! (ironic).^[8][7]
5. (architecture) To run the whole length of something.^[8][3]

Word family

• régnant

Related words

• régir
• règne
• Latin rēgnō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 214b
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert