rafraîchir

Forms

rafraîchir^[1] Old French rafrescir, rafreschir, beside refreschir; the spelling rafraîchir dates from the 16th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French re- + fraîchir, with the prefix in its compound form ra-, which adds a-.^[2][3][5] The Grand Robert takes the base as Old French freschir (“to rest, restore”), and Littré as an unrecorded afraîchir formed on the adjective,^[6][7][2] Old and Middle French also had the parallel form refraîchir.^[6][7][2] The base is from frais¹, which Bloch and Wartburg and the FEW trace to Proto-Germanic *frisk, the source too of Italian fresco and German frisch.^[4][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gautier d'Arras first uses it as rafrescir in Eracle (1176–84), meaning “to give new vigour to”, and in the reflexive soi rafrescir.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The DHLF sees two groups of senses, from the two values of frais.^[9] One goes with the idea of “new”: “to revive, restore strength” (12th century), “to renew, recall” (1180–90), later rafraîchir la mémoire (16th century), “to restore, repair” (early 16th century), rafraîchir les vieux tableaux (1690) and rafraîchir les cheveux “to trim the hair” (1680).^[2][9][5] In the Middle Ages soldiers and horses were rafreschis when rested and resupplied, a sense now gone for people.^[7][9]

The other goes with “cool”: “to give a feeling of coolness” (late 13th century), to cool with a drink (late 14th century), with the reflexive “to quench one's thirst” (1330), and, intransitively, of the wind or weather (1690).^[2][9] In medicine it meant to cool the inside of the body (1673, Molière).^[2]

Timeline

• 1176–84 – Rafrescir “to revive” in Gautier d'Arras's Eracle.^[2]
• 1180–90 – Rafreschir “to renew, recall” in Alexandre de Paris.^[2]
• late 13th century – “To give a feeling of coolness”, in the First Continuation of Perceval.^[2]
• 1330 – Reflexive “to quench one's thirst”.^[2]
• 16th century – Rafraîchir la mémoire is recorded.^[2][9]
• 1600 – Olivier de Serres uses it for trimming plants.^[2]
• 1673 – Molière uses the medical sense in Le Malade imaginaire.^[2]
• 1680 – Rafraîchir les cheveux “to trim the hair”.^[9][5]
• 1690 – Furetière records rafraîchir les vieux tableaux.^[2][10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make cooler, to cool moderately: rafraîchir une boisson avec des glaçons.^[5][2]
2. To refresh a person, as with a drink; reflexively, to cool off or have a drink.^[2][1]
3. To restore the freshness of something faded, to brighten up or do up: to refresh colours, a painting, a flat.^[5][1]
4. Rafraîchir les cheveux: to give the hair a light trim.^[5][9]
5. (figurative) To revive: rafraîchir la mémoire, to remind someone of something, often as a threat.^[5][2]
6. (intransitive) Of the air or weather, to become cooler.^[2][9]
7. (reflexive) Se rafraîchir: to freshen up.^[1]

Word family

• rafraîchissant
• rafraîchissement
• rafraîchisseur

Related words

• frais¹
• fraîchir
• défraîchir
• fraîcheur

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 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. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 15/2, 174a
9. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF