répandre

Forms

répandre^[1] Old French respandre; the modern spelling répandre is from the 16th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French re- + épandre, Old French respandre.^[2][4][5][1] The simple verb épandre is from Latin expandō (“to spread out”), which had driven out the simple Latin pandō (“to spread”).^[6][7] Picoche places the verb in the family of the Latin verb with épancher and expansion.^[7]

From the 17th century the derivative took the place of the simple verb, which is now limited to technical uses such as spreading manure.^[6][2][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie (about 1165) has respandre of scattering flowers;^[2] Béroul's Tristan (late 12th century) uses it of spilling flour, and Floire et Blancheflor of spilt wine.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the verb meant to let something run or fall out of its container: flowers, coins, flour, wine and, in Gautier de Coinci (13th century), the blood Christ shed for the sinner.^[2] Répandre le sang “to kill” is recorded in 1640, and répandre des larmes “to weep” in La Fontaine (1685).^[2][3] From 1559 the reflexive verb is used of people spreading over a wider and wider space, as troops do.^[2]

In the 17th century the verb took over the figurative uses of épandre:^[8] to spread news (un bruit est répandu, 1654), an idea or doctrine (1671, répandre l'Évangile, Bossuet 1681), a feeling through a group (un mal qui répand la terreur, La Fontaine 1678), and to hand out favours freely (Molière, 1664).^[2] Se répandre en “to give vent to” (se répandre en injures, Racine 1677) and se répandre “to go much into society”, whence répandu dans le monde, date from the late 17th century.^[2][8] The sense “to give off” light, heat or a smell is from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.^[2][8]

Timeline

• c. 1165 – Respandre appears in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie.^[2]
• Late 12th century – It is used of spilt flour (Béroul) and spilt wine (Floire et Blancheflor).^[2]
• 1395 – First reflexive use, of water spilling.^[2]
• 1559 – Amyot uses se répandre of soldiers spreading out.^[2]
• 1640 – Répandre le sang “to kill”.^[2]
• 1654 – Loret writes un bruit est répandu, the sense “to make known”.^[2]
• 1677 – Racine's Phèdre has se répandre en injures.^[2]
• 1678 – La Fontaine writes un mal qui répand la terreur.^[2]
• 1691 – Racine's Athalie has light répandue, the sense “to give off”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To spill or pour out a liquid: il a répandu son vin sur la table.^[9][1]
2. To scatter or strew solid matter: répandre du sable sur le chemin.^[9][5]
3. To shed: répandre des larmes “to weep”, répandre le sang “to kill”.^[9][5]
4. To give off light, heat or a smell.^[9][1]
5. To spread news, an idea or a feeling; to propagate.^[9][2]
6. To give out generously: to spread favours or kindness.^[2][9]
7. Se répandre: to spread, to flow over;^[1][2] se répandre en (reproaches, insults): to give vent to them.^[1][2]

Word family

• répandeur

Related words

• épandre
• épancher
• expansion
• Latin expandō

Usage notes

The past participle répandu is used as an adjective for what is widespread or common, as of news known to everyone (Sévigné, 1680).^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 u v w x y 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
8. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert