raisonnable

Forms

raisonnable (plural raisonnables)^[1] Old French reidnable (about 1120), raisnable (about 1155) and resnable (about 1175); raisonnable appears in Jean de Meun about 1265.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French raison + -able.^[5][4][6][2] The older forms reidnable, rednable and raisnable go with the Old French verb raisnier, and the modern form is a remaking of them on raison.^[5][3] Littré and Wiktionary derive it instead from Late Latin ratiōnābilis, from ratiō (“reckoning, reason”).^[7][1]

Cognate with Occitan razonable, Catalan rahonable, Spanish razonable and Italian razionabile.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as reidnable in the first half of the 12th century, in La Comune Fei in the Cambridge Psalter, meaning “endowed with reason”: anme reidnable “rational soul”.^[5] About 1155 Wace uses raisnable of men and rednable of a ransom, “fair, in keeping with good sense”.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

It first meant “endowed with reason”, a sense now limited to philosophy, and was soon applied to things in keeping with reason (about 1155).^[3][5] By extension it came to describe people who behave with measure and thought (14th century); from this came its use for a tradesman moderate in his demands (1673), probably after prix raisonnable, and for any moderate person (late 19th century).^[3][2]

The sense “sufficient, acceptable” (about 1250) now rather means a size or amount above the average, notably of a price (1514).^[3][5] Littré also records it for someone who bears misfortune with resignation.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1120 – Reidnable “endowed with reason” appears in the Cambridge Psalter.^[5][2]
• c. 1155 – Wace uses raisnable and rednable.^[5][2]
• c. 1250 – The sense “sufficient, acceptable” appears.^[3]
• c. 1265 – The form raisonnable appears in Jean de Meun.^[2][4]
• 1370–1380 – Used of a person guided by reason.^[5]
• 1514 – Payer à prix raisonnable is recorded.^[5][3]
• 1654 – Used for a size above the average.^[5]
• 1666 – Molière uses it of a person moderate in his demands.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (formal) Endowed with raison, rational.^[6][5]
2. Thinking and acting with good sense and moderation; sensible.^[6][5] Sois raisonnable, il est tard.^[6][5]
3. Of things: in keeping with reason or fairness: une solution raisonnable.^[6][7]
4. Moderate in one's demands; of a price, not excessive.^[5][3]
5. Sufficient, acceptable; fairly large.^[5][3]
6. (dated) Resigned, bearing misfortune patiently.^[7][1]

Word family

• déraisonnable
• raisonnablement

Related words

• raison
• raisonner
• Latin ratiōnābilis

References

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