Etymologically
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regard

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:03. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁə.ɡaʁ/[1]

Forms

regard m (plural regards)[1] Old French regart (about 980), also reguard, regard from about 1280.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is a noun formed from the verb regarder.[5][2][6][7] That verb is from French re- + garder, and “garder” goes back to Frankish *wardōn (“to watch, guard”).[1][8]

Compare Occitan regart and Italian riguardo.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the Passion of Clermont, meaning the act or manner of looking at something, and the expression of the eyes.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

In the first half of the 12th century it meant “attention, consideration” (Oxford Psalter), and later inspection or supervision (1262, regars de vins), whence administrative control (1464) and the legal droit de regard (1932).[5] Littré thought this sense of attention the original one, from garder.[4] Prepositional phrases grew from it: a regard de (1300), au regard de “with respect to” (1377), en regard de “in comparison with”, and en regard “opposite” (1811).[5]

A concrete sense, an opening for inspecting a conduit or fountain, is recorded in Palissy (1580); it gave the modern regard “manhole” (1893).[5][3] Anglo-Norman regard also meant a reward or payment, which passed into English as both regard and reward.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 980 – Regart in the Passion of Clermont.[5][2]
  • c. 1120 – “Attention, consideration”, in the Oxford Psalter.[5]
  • 1262 – “Inspection”, in Paris documents.[5]
  • 1377 – Au regard de.[5]
  • 1580 – An inspection opening, in Palissy.[5]
  • 1811 – En regard “opposite”, in Chateaubriand.[5]
  • 1893 – A manhole of a sewer.[3]
  • 1932 – Droit de regard.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A look, a glance; the act of looking: suivre du regard.[6][9]
  2. The expression of the eyes, a person's gaze: un regard doux.[9][6]
  3. Attention, notice: attirer les regards.[9][4]
  4. Droit de regard: a right of supervision.[5]
  5. Au regard de: with regard to, en regard de: compared with, en regard: opposite.[5]
  6. A manhole or inspection shaft over a sewer or pipe; its cover.[9][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 511a
  8. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  9. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)