Etymologically
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rencontrer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁɑ̃.kɔ̃.tʁe/[1]

Forms

rencontrer[1]

Etymology

It is from French re- + encontrer, from Old and Middle French encontrer (“to meet, come face to face with”) (about 980, still found as “ancontrer” in 1636), itself derived from encontre.[2][3][4][5][1] “Encontre” is inherited from Late Latin incontrā, from contrā (“against”).[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1175 in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Chronique des ducs de Normandie, in a context of war, meaning “to engage in battle”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The military sense survives, weakened, in sport: rencontrer an opponent (20th century).[3][7] The dominant sense “to come across by chance” is from about 1225, “to meet by arrangement” dates from 1611.[2][3] Rencontrer les yeux de quelqu'un is in Racine (1669), and se rencontrer “to meet each other” in Amyot (1559); “to think alike” in Corneille (1643) survives in the proverb les grands esprits se rencontrent.[2][8][1] In the 16th century it also meant “to make witty remarks”.[2] The noun rencontre dates from the 12th century.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 980 – The older encontrer.[3]
  • c. 1175 – “To engage in battle”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[2]
  • c. 1225 – “To come across”, in Péan Gatineau.[2]
  • 1559 – Se rencontrer, in Amyot.[2]
  • 1611 – “To meet by arrangement”.[3]
  • 1643 – “To think alike”, in Corneille.[2]
  • 1702 – A nautical term.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To meet, come across: je l'ai rencontré dans la rue.[7][1]
  2. To meet (by arrangement); to meet for the first time.[7]
  3. To come up against, encounter: rencontrer des difficultés.[8][1]
  4. (sport) To play against.[7][3]
  5. Se rencontrer: to meet; to exist, be found: cela se rencontre.[2]

Usage notes

Les grands esprits se rencontrent “great minds think alike”.[1]

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1114a
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse