rafraîchissement

Forms

rafraîchissement m (plural rafraîchissements)^[1] Old French rafreschissement, also refreschissement.^[2][3] Middle French rafraischissement; the spelling rafraîchissement is recorded in 1636 by Monet.^[4] Since the 1990 spelling reform it may also be written rafraichissement.^[5]

Etymology

It is formed from French rafraîchir + -ment.^[2][1][6][7] The verb, first rafrescir and rafreschir in the late 12th century, is a compound of frais¹ “cool, fresh”,^[2][8] which goes back to Frankish *frisk.^[8][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 13th century, in the French Guillaume de Tyr, as rafreschissemenz, for a cooling of the air.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From 1387 it named the food supplies that restored an army's strength,^[2] and in the 14th century the rest that refreshed troops.^[3] About 1455–1460 Chastellain used it for reviving or refreshing something in the memory.^[2][8] In classical French it was the rest that restored one's strength.^[4]

The link with cooling grew in the 17th century: Richelet records the sense “cooling of the weather” in 1680, and Furetière the sense “cold drink” in 1690.^[4][8] In the plural it meant the meats, drinks and fruits offered to a visiting personage, and later (1765, 1768) the cold drinks, ices and fruit served at a party.^[2][8] Littré records the sense “restoring something to a new condition” in 1869.^[2][4] Computing has added the refreshing of a screen display or of a memory.^[9][5]

Timeline

• 13th century – Rafreschissemenz “cooling of the air” in the French Guillaume de Tyr.^[2][4]
• 1387 – Used for supplies that restore an army's strength.^[2]
• 1455 – Chastellain uses it for refreshing the memory.^[2]
• 1636 – Monet spells it rafraîchissement.^[4]
• 1680 – Richelet records the sense “cooling of the weather”.^[4]
• 1690 – Furetière records it for a cold drink.^[4]
• 1768 – Voltaire uses the plural for the food and drinks served at a festivity.^[2]
• 1869 – Littré records the sense “renovation”.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A cooling, the act or fact of becoming cooler: un net rafraîchissement des nuits.^[9][10][5]
2. A cold drink, usually non-alcoholic, taken between meals; in the plural, the cold drinks, ices and fruit served to guests, refreshments: Elle nous offrit un rafraîchissement sur la terrasse.^[9][10][5]
3. (literary) The reviving of something, as of memories.^[9][2]
4. The restoring of something to a fresh condition, renovation: le rafraîchissement d'une façade.^[5][4][2]
5. (computing) The renewal of a screen display or the rewriting of data in memory: fréquence de rafraîchissement.^[9][5][10]
6. (classical) Rest that restores one's strength.^[4][3]

Related words

• rafraîchir
• frais¹
• rafraîchissant

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)