rassembler

Forms

rassembler^[1]

Etymology

It is from French re- + assembler.^[2][3][4] The base verb assembler goes back to Vulgar Latin *assimulō (“to put together”), from Latin simul (“together”).^[5][6] Bloch and Wartburg date the verb only to 1213, but the TLFi and the Grand Robert cite it from Wace in 1155.^[5][2][3] Littré gives a Picard form rassaner.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Wace's Brut (1155) it means to gather living beings together in one place, and, from about 1165 the reflexive form means “to come together”.^[2] Rey describes the first sense as bringing people together around oneself.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The verb came to mean gathering people in one place (1549) and also bringing them together again, a sense in which it, unlike the simple verb assembler, has stayed current;^[8] se rassembler replaced the old intransitive use in 1549.^[8] Of things, it implies that the elements brought together were scattered, and Amyot uses it in 1559 for concentrating and putting in order, as with forces;^[8][2] rassembler ses idées is recorded in 1829.^[8][2]

A carpentry sense, putting back together the parts of something taken apart, is dated 1641, and in horsemanship rassembler son cheval is used by Stendhal in 1839.^[2] The verb gave rassemblement (1426) and rassembleur (1580).^[5][2]

Timeline

• 1155 – Wace uses it for gathering people in one place.^[2]
• c. 1165 – The reflexive “to come together” in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[2]
• 1426 – The derived noun rassemblement.^[5]
• 1559 – Amyot uses it for concentrating and putting in order.^[2]
• 1641 – Used for reassembling dismantled parts.^[2]
• 1839 – Stendhal uses it in horsemanship.^[2]
• 1902 – The infinitive le rassembler is used as a noun.^[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To gather people or animals in one place; to bring together again: rassembler ses soldats sur la place.^[9][2]
2. To unite people for a common cause: rassembler la gauche.^[9]
3. To put together things that were scattered; to collect: rassembler ses livres, rassembler des témoignages.^[9][4]
4. (figurative) To summon up, concentrate: rassembler son courage, rassembler ses idées.^[4][1]
5. (carpentry) To reassemble the parts of something taken apart.^[2][7]
6. (horsemanship) To collect a horse, bringing its legs under its body.^[2]
7. (reflexive) Se rassembler: to congregate, come together.^[1][2]

Word family

• rassemblement
• rassembleur

Related words

• assembler
• assemblée

Usage notes

The infinitive is used as a masculine noun in horsemanship, le rassembler (1902), for the collected position of the horse.^[2][3]

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 p q r 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. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 544a
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert