regimber

Forms

regimber^[1]

Etymology

It is from Old French regiber (“to kick, of a horse”) (about 1175, Chrétien de Troyes), with a nasal consonant added.^[2][3][4][5] The Old French verb was formed from the intensive prefix re- and giber (“to struggle with arms and legs”), which is recorded only in 1381 but is probably older.^[2][3][5] That verb comes from an expressive root gib- of unknown origin, expressing a kick or a jump, as in regional gibe (“a kick”).^[2][3][6][7] Bloch and Wartburg gloss the simple verb “to shake” and also call its origin unknown.^[4] Pierre Guiraud derived it from the same regional word in the sense “thigh”, perhaps from Latin gibbus (“hump, swelling”).^[3][8]

Littré cites regional forms such as Berry regiper and Poitevin giber (“to kick”);^[9] Nicot derived it from the prefix and jambe, but Diez doubted this, since a nasal is usually added, not lost.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded at the end of the 12th century, in Raoul de Cambrai, of horses resisting by kicking:^[2][5] Littré quotes Que il ne puissent regimber ne hennir “so that they can neither kick nor neigh”.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The verb first meant “to kick, to resist on the spot instead of going forward”, said of an animal, especially a mount touched by the spur.^[3][2] It became commoner in the figurative sense “to resist, to refuse to obey”, said of a person, recorded in 1450 in Jean Chartier's chronicle;^[2][3] the construction regimber contre dates from 1671 or 1672, in Pomey.^[2][3] The biblical image of kicking against the goad lies behind regimber contre l'aiguillon “to resist in vain”.^[9][2] The pronominal se regimber (18th century) seems to come from a link with se rebiffer.^[3][6]

The older regiber was still used in the 16th century.^[4] The derivatives regimbeur and regimbement are first recorded in 1538, in Robert Estienne.^[3][2]

Timeline

• c. 1175 – Regiber appears in Chrétien de Troyes' Chevalier de la Charrette.^[2][5]
• Late 12th century – Regimber appears in Raoul de Cambrai.^[2][5]
• 1381 – The simple verb giber is recorded.^[2]
• 1450 – The figurative sense “to resist” appears in Jean Chartier.^[2][3]
• 1538 – Regimbement and regimbeur are recorded in Estienne.^[2][3]
• 1671 – Regimber contre is recorded by Pomey.^[2]
• 18th century – The pronominal se regimber appears.^[3][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. Of a horse or mule, to kick out and refuse to go forward; to jib.^[6][2][1]
2. (figurative) To resist, to refuse to obey or give in; to se rebiffer: l'enfant regimbe chaque fois qu'il faut se coucher.^[6][2][5]
3. (dated) Regimber contre l'aiguillon: to resist in vain.^[2][9]
4. (literary) Se regimber: to rebel, to balk.^[6][3]

Related words

• rebiffer

References

1. ^ a b c 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 e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f 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. 4, 132a
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette