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ravin

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Etymology and origin of the French word ravin

Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
c. 1460 Georges Chastellain, Chronique More words from the 15th century
Ultimate origin
Latin rapīna
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French ravine
English ravine
French ravin
From the same root
French raviner ← ravine

Pronunciation

Forms

ravin m (plural ravins)[1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from French ravine, or a deverbal noun of raviner, “to furrow (of water)”.[2][3] The DHLF takes the first record as derived from the noun and the word of 1690 as formed afresh from the verb;[3] the Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and the GLLF derive it from the verb.[4][5][6]

The noun (earlier raveine) is the verbal noun of Old French raviner (“to carry off by force, to rush violently”), which comes from ravine (“act of violence, impetuosity”), the popular outcome of Latin rapīna (“plunder”) and so a doublet of rapine.[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears, in an isolated record, in the chronicle of Georges Chastellain (second half of the 15th century); it is then recorded by Furetière in 1690 as “a pit or sunken road hollowed out by falling water”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From the 17th century it spread as the name of a small, narrow valley with steep sides,[3][5] and by metonymy of the sunken road at the bottom of such a valley (1787, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre) and of a channel cut by running water.[3][6]

Timeline

  • c. 1460 – An isolated record in Georges Chastellain.[2][3]
  • 1616 – Ravine is recorded for a bed dug by a torrent.[3]
  • 1690 – Furetière records ravin.[2][4][6]
  • 1787 – Bernardin de Saint-Pierre uses it for a sunken road.[6]
  • 1875 – The regional derivative ravinée is recorded.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A ravine, gully: a deep cut in the ground made by running water or a torrent, a small narrow valley with steep sides.[5][2]
  2. A sunken road or hollow way.[8][6]

Word family

  • ravinée

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Ravin.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/ravin. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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