réprimander

Forms

réprimander^[1] Early spellings reprimender (1535), resprimander and resprimender (1615); réprimander from 1636.^[2][3][4][5]

Etymology

It is formed from French réprimande + -er.^[2][1][6][7] The noun, first reprimende (1549), is from Latin reprimenda (“(a fault) that must be repressed”), with culpa (“fault”) understood, the feminine gerundive of reprimō (“to restrain, repress”);^[2][3][6] its spelling with ⟨-mande⟩ at the end of the 16th century is probably due to mander.^[6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi dates the verb to 1535, spelled reprimender, in a document published in the Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie, earlier than its first record of the noun (1549).^[2] The meaning was already “to rebuke”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The verb has kept the meaning “to give a reprimand to (someone)”, to reprove a person over whom one has authority;^[3][7] like the noun, it is also used in the administrative and military sense “to inflict a reprimand” as a disciplinary measure.^[3] Older dictionaries date it later: Bloch and Wartburg to 1615, the GLLF to François de Sales (1615, resprimander) and to Monet (1636) for réprimander.^[6][4] It has the rare derivative réprimandable (1836).^[3]

Timeline

• 1535 – First record, as reprimender.^[2]
• 1549 – The noun reprimende is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1615 – François de Sales writes resprimander.^[4]
• 1636 – Monet's dictionary has the spelling réprimander.^[4][3]
• 1836 – The derivative réprimandable is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To reprimand, to rebuke with authority: réprimander un apprenti, réprimander qqn pour son retard.^[2][5][7]

Word family

• réprimandable

Related words

• réprimande
• réprimer
• Latin reprimō

References

1. ^ a b c 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 e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert 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. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette