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réjouir

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Etymology and origin of the French word réjouir

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1170 Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Latin gaudeō

Pronunciation

  • /ʁe.ʒwiʁ/[1]

Forms

réjouir[1] Old French resjoïr; the spelling réjouir dates from the 15th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French resjoïr, formed from Old French re- + esjoïr, the old verb “to make glad”, now éjouir.[2][5][3] The base verb (about 1120) is formed with es-, from ex-, and jouir, which goes back to Vulgar Latin *gaudīre, Classical gaudeō (“to rejoice”).[4][6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Chrétien de Troyes uses the transitive resjoïr “to gladden” in Erec et Enide (about 1170), and the reflexive in Yvain (1176–1181).[2]

Semantic evolution

The base esjoïr died out in the 17th century, though La Fontaine still used esjouir.[6][3][5] Réjouir did not take the sexual sense of the simple verb jouir.[5]

It is mostly used in the reflexive: se réjouir meant “to have fun” from about 1175, then “to feel joy” from 1559.[5] The transitive sense “to amuse, entertain” is recorded by Robert Estienne in 1549, and the sense “to please (the senses)” from 1395.[4] The participle resjoï was used as an adjective from about 1200, of a face or a person showing pleasure.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1120 – The base verb esjoïr is recorded.[3][4]
  • c. 1170 – Transitive resjoïr in Erec et Enide.[2]
  • 1176–1181 – Reflexive use in Yvain.[2]
  • c. 1200 – The adjective resjoï “joyful”.[5]
  • 1395 – Sense “to please the senses”.[4]
  • 1425 – Resjouissant, the present participle adjective.[5]
  • c. 1460 – réjouissance.[5][6]
  • 1549 – Robert Estienne records “to entertain, amuse”.[4]
  • 1559 – Se réjouir “to feel joy”.[5]
  • 17th century – Esjouir goes out of use.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (transitive) To make glad, to delight: Cette lettre a réjoui toute la famille.[8][2]
  2. (transitive, dated) To amuse, to entertain a company.[2][8]
  3. (transitive) To please the eye or the senses.[4][9]
  4. (reflexive) Se réjouir: to rejoice, to be glad (de something, que + subjunctive).[8][1]
  5. (reflexive, dated) Se réjouir: to have fun.[8][5]

Word family

  • réjouissance
  • réjouissant

Usage notes

Wiktionary notes that réjouir is not a doublet of rejouir or re-jouir, formed later from re- and jouir.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 77a
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Réjouir.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/r%C3%A9jouir. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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