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réveil

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Etymology and origin of the French word réveil

réveil1 waking

Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
1262 Rutebeuf, Complainte de Rutebeuf
Ultimate origins
French re-Latin *exvigilo
Etymology tree of réveil1
inherited borrowed derived
French éveiller
French réveiller
French réveil

Pronunciation

Forms

réveil m (plural réveils)[1] Old French resveil (13th century); the modern spelling dates from about 1534.[2][3][4]

Etymology

The word for waking is a deverbal noun from French réveiller (“to wake”).[5][2][4] The verb was formed in Old French (about 1155, resveillier) from éveiller with the prefix re- as an intensifier.[4] Littré compares Old Occitan revelh.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rutebeuf's Complainte de Rutebeuf (1262) has it for the act of waking up.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

In ordinary use it took the place of éveil in the literal sense.[4] About 1570 it named what announces the end of sleep, beside aubades, and in 1771 the drum roll that calls soldiers to rise;[5] sonner le réveil is recorded in 1864.[5] Littré notes that Froissart's resveil “entertainment” seems a confusion with the old noun revel.[6]

Figurative uses began at the end of the 17th century: a sudden waking after death (Fénelon, 1690), the loss of an illusion (Racine, Athalie, 1691), and the return of peoples to full activity (Raynal, 1770).[5][4] The familiar réveil en fanfare “rude awakening” comes from military language.[4]

Timeline

  • 1262 – First record, in Rutebeuf.[5]
  • c. 1534 – The spelling réveil appears.[2][3]
  • c. 1570 – Used of what announces the end of sleep.[5]
  • 1690 – Fénelon uses it of death as a sudden waking.[5]
  • 1691 – Racine uses it for the loss of an illusion.[5]
  • 1770 – Raynal speaks of the awakening of peoples.[5]
  • 1771 – The Trévoux dictionary records the reveille drum roll.[5]
  • 1864 – Sonner le réveil is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. waking, awakening, the passage from sleep to waking: au réveil “on waking”.[7][5]
  2. (military) The reveille, the bugle call or drum roll that wakes soldiers: sonner le réveil.[7][1]
  3. Coming out of anaesthesia or a coma: salle de réveil “recovery room”.[7]
  4. (figurative) A return to activity after a pause: le réveil de la nature “the coming of spring”.[7][6]
  5. (figurative) A return to reality after an illusion or a dream.[7][5]

réveil2 alarm clock

Confidence
Established
Formation
Clipping
First attested
1440
Ultimate origin
French réveille-matin

Pronunciation

Forms

réveil m (plural réveils)[1] Resveil in 1440.[5]

Etymology

The word for the alarm clock is a clipping from French réveille-matin, spelled after the noun for waking.[2][4] The compound is made of the verb form ⟨réveille⟩, from réveiller, and matin (“morning”) used as an adverb.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1440, as resveil, in a document quoted by Gay.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The full form réveille-matin meant at first the stir of getting up (1497) and then a clock with counterweights that wakes the sleeper (1514).[5] The short form first meant whatever wakes one in the morning and later the small clock with a bell.[4] Since 1538 réveille-matin has also named a plant, a spurge.[4][5]

Timeline

  • 1440 – First record of resveil.[5][2]
  • 1514 – A reveille matin with counterweights is listed in an inventory.[5]
  • 1538 – Réveille-matin names a plant.[5]
  • 1680 – Richelet records the rare form réveil-matin.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An alarm clock, a small clock whose bell rings at a set time.[7][1]

Word family

  • radio-réveil

Usage notes

The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert give two words, réveil 1 “waking” and réveil 2 “alarm clock”;[2][7] Littré lists the clock as a sense of one word.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w 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
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Réveil.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/r%C3%A9veil. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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