rembourser

Forms

rembourser^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French re- + embourser (“to put into a purse”).^[2][3][4][5] That verb, recorded from the 12th century, is formed from French em- + bourse (“purse”) + -er.^[5][1] The noun is from Old French borse, from Late Latin bursa, from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa, “hide”).^[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1262, in Jean le Marchant's Miracles de Notre-Dame de Chartres, in the literal sense “to put back into the purse”.^[2][6][7]

Semantic evolution

While embourser became archaic, rembourser spread, losing the literal sense and coming to mean “to give back money owed”: with the sum as object in 1393 by the TLFi's dating and 1444 by Rey's, and with the person repaid as object in 1559, in Amyot.^[2][7][6] The reflexive se rembourser “to recoup one's outlay” is also found in Amyot.^[8][9] Littré records a familiar figurative use for receiving something unpleasant, where he notes that the word stands for embourser.^[8]

Its derivatives remboursement and remboursable date from 1432, and the technical noun rembours was coined in 1981 to replace the English drawback in customs law.^[7] The English verb reimburse (1610s) is not a loan of it but an English formation on imburse, from embourser.^[10]

Timeline

• 12th century – Embourser “to put into a purse” is recorded.^[5]
• 1262 – Jean le Marchant uses rembourser for putting back into the purse.^[2]
• 1393 – First record of the sense “to repay money advanced”.^[2]
• 1432 – The derivatives remboursement and remboursable.^[7][5]
• 1444 – The date Bloch and Wartburg and Rey give for the sum-repaid use.^[5][7]
• 1559 – Amyot uses it with the person repaid as object.^[7][6]
• 1981 – The derivative rembours is proposed for drawback.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To repay, pay back money that was advanced or spent: rembourser un prêt “to pay back a loan”.^[4][2]
2. To refund a person, give back what they spent: l'assurance lui a remboursé ses frais “the insurance refunded his costs”.^[4][8]
3. To refund the price of something sold;^[4] Remboursez !, the cry of a dissatisfied audience.^[4]
4. se rembourser: to recoup one's outlay.^[8][9]
5. (figurative, familiar) To receive something unpleasant, such as blows.^[8]

Word family

• remboursement
• remboursable
• rembours

Related words

• bourse
• embourser
• débourser
• English reimburse

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com