remuer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʁə.mɥe/^[1]

Forms

remuer^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French re- + muer.^[2][3][1] The simple verb continues Latin mūtō (“to change”), and in the Middle Ages still had the general sense “to change”.^[4][5] Littré takes the first sense to be “to change again”, hence “to move”.^[6] It absorbed the old remouvoir, which then disappeared.^[4] Cognate with Old Occitan remudar, Spanish remudar and Italian rimutare.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland uses it for making a change: N'avez baron qui jamais la remut, “you have no baron who would ever change it” (the rearguard).^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

Linked with muer, the sense “to change” was usual until the 16th century, with remuer son habit, to change one's clothes (1174–1176), and “to exchange” (1130–1140), before giving way to changer.^[2][7][4] The sense “to set in motion” appears about 1131–1135 in ne remüer ne les mains ne les piez, which lives on in ne remuer ni pied ni patte (before 1660).^[7][2][8] The intransitive use for living beings dates from about 1175, se remuer “to bestir oneself” from 1668.^[2] About 1270 it meant to stir, move someone, and in the 17th century to stir up sedition (1607).^[2] Remuer la terre is in the 15th century, remuer l'argent à la pelle at the end of the 17th, and remue-ménage from the 17th century.^[8][4]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – “To change”, in the Chanson de Roland.^[7]
• c. 1131 – “To move (hands and feet)”.^[7][8]
• c. 1175 – Intransitive “to move”.^[2]
• c. 1270 – “To stir (the feelings)”.^[2]
• Early 15th century – Remuer la terre.^[8]
• Before 1660 – Ne remuer ni pied ni patte, in Scarron.^[8]
• 1668 – Se remuer.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To move something, shift its position: remuer sa chaise, objet lourd à remuer.^[9][10]
2. To move a part of the body: remuer les lèvres, remuer la queue, ne pas remuer le petit doigt, not to lift a finger.^[9][10]
3. To stir, turn over: remuer la salade, remuer la terre, remuer des braises.^[9][1]
4. To move someone's feelings; to stir up memories.^[1][2]
5. (intransitive) To move, fidget.^[11][1]
6. Se remuer: to move about, (familiar) to get moving, make an effort.^[1][2]
7. Remuer ciel et terre: to move heaven and earth, remuer le couteau dans la plaie: to twist the knife in the wound.^[1][3]

Word family

• remuant
• remuement
• remue-ménage
• remuable

Related words

• muer
• mutation
• Latin mūtō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e 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
8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)