rarement

Forms

rarement (adverb, invariable)^[1] Old French had relment (about 1170) and rerement (about 1190), formed on the Old French adjective rer.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French rare + -ment.^[2][1][4] The adjective comes from Latin rārus.^[3] The older adverbs relment and rerement, built on the Old French form of the adjective, did not outlive Old French.^[2]

Cognate with Occitan rarament, Spanish raramente and Italian raramente.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 14th century, as raremant “seldom”, in Moamin et Ghatrif, an isolated record; it reappears in 1555 in Ronsard's Hymne de l'or.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Maurice Scève used it in 1544 for “remarkably, exceptionally”, a sense that did not last.^[2] Olivier de Serres wrote about 1600 that millet should be sown rarement, one grain far from the next, that is, sparsely.^[5][6] The usual modern sense is “not often”.^[2][7]

In careful writing it may begin a clause and then bring the inversion of a pronoun subject.^[7][8][5]

Timeline

• 14th century – Raremant appears in Moamin et Ghatrif.^[2]
• 1544 – Maurice Scève uses it for “remarkably”.^[2]
• 1555 – Ronsard uses rarement.^[2][3]
• c. 1600 – Olivier de Serres uses it.^[6][4][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Rarely, seldom, not often: il nous écrit rarement.^[7][8][9][2]
2. (literary) At the head of a clause, with inversion of a pronoun subject: rarement a-t-on vu pareille foule.^[7][8]

Related words

• rare
• rareté
• rarissime

Usage notes

Rarement has a positive meaning, unlike jamais, so it takes no ne.^[8]

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 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 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)