Etymologically
Log in

rassurer

Etymology and origin of the French word rassurer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1155, Wace, Roman de Brut
Ultimate origin
Latin (securus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French assurer
French rassurer

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁa.sy.ʁe/[1]

Forms

rassurer[1] Old French raseürer (about 1155), rasseürer (about 1175); rasseurer in the Académie dictionary of 1694 and 1718, rassûrer in 1740, rassurer from 1762.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French re- + assurer.[3][4][2][5][1] assurer continues Vulgar Latin *assēcūrō (“to make safe”), from sēcūrus (“safe, secure”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Roman de Brut (1155) uses it for giving or restoring confidence to someone.[3][2] The pronominal se raseürer “to calm down” is recorded in 1165.[4][7][8]

Semantic evolution

The prefixed verb specialized in this sense and, from the 17th century took it over from assurer, so that the two verbs are now quite separate in meaning.[8][6] Amyot (1559) has rassurer quelqu'un de quelque chose, to dispel someone's fear about something, a classical construction.[2][5] The concrete sense “to make firm, steady again” (1476, of a building) and “to make safer” (16th century) have been abandoned.[3][8] The participle rassurant means “reassuring”.[1]

Timeline

  • 1155 – “To give back confidence”, in Wace.[3]
  • 1165 – Se raseürer “to calm down”.[4][8]
  • 1476 – “To consolidate”, of a building.[3]
  • 1559 – Rassurer quelqu'un de quelque chose, in Amyot.[2]
  • 1762 – The Académie spells it rassurer.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To reassure, restore someone's confidence or peace of mind: rassurer un enfant qui a fait un cauchemar.[7][1]
  2. (reflexive) Se rassurer: to stop being afraid, calm down, rassurez-vous, don't worry.[7][1]
  3. (classical) To make firm, steady again.[2][3]

Word family

  • rassurant

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 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
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Rassurer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/rassurer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·