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réorganiser

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Etymology and origin of the French word réorganiser

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1791 La Société des Jacobins More words from the 18th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ὄργανον
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French organiser
German organisieren
Romanian organiza
French réorganiser
Derivations
From the same root
French organisation ← organiser

Pronunciation

  • /ʁe.ɔʁ.ɡa.ni.ze/[1]

Forms

réorganiser[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French ré- + organiser.[2][3][4][5] The simple verb is derived from organe, from Latin organum (“instrument”).[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded on 24 July 1791, during the Revolution, at the Jacobin Club: réorganisons notre administration et nos comptes de finances “let us reorganize our administration and our accounts”.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The verb arose under the Revolution together with the noun réorganisation (1791); the agent noun réorganisateur followed in 1838–1839.[7][2] It has kept its sense of organizing again, or differently, what had been disorganized, and the reflexive se réorganiser is used of a body or system that recovers its order.[2][5]

Timeline

  • 1791 – First record at the Jacobin Club;[2][7] réorganisation appears the same year.[2][7]
  • 1839 – Comte uses réorganisateur as an adjective.[2]
  • 1842 – The Académie's supplement records réorganisateur as a noun.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (transitive) To set up or arrange again, or in a different way, to reorganize: réorganiser un ministère.[2][4]
  2. (reflexive) Se réorganiser: to be organized anew, to recover a regular order.[5][4]

Word family

  • réorganisateur

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 411a
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Réorganiser.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/r%C3%A9organiser. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·