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rendez-vous

Etymology and origin of the French word rendez-vous

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1578

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁɑ̃.de.vu/[1]

Forms

rendez-vous m (invariable)[1]

Etymology

It is the imperative “rendez-vous” “betake yourselves (to such a place)” used as a noun, from rendre in its reflexive sense “se rendre” “to go” and the pronoun vous.[2][3][4][1][5] It passed into English rendezvous in the 1590s, first a place appointed for the assembling of troops, from the wording of orders.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it from 1578; in Du Monin's Uranologie (1583–1584) it is the place where people have agreed to meet.[3][7][2][4]

Semantic evolution

D'Aubigné writes ils se donnerent des rendez-vous en des lieux esgarez “they made appointments in out-of-the-way places”.[5] The meeting itself is recorded in Nicot (1606) and in 1612, when the Bohemians are said to give each other a rendez-vous every ten days.[4][2] It was used of ships from 1696, and La Bruyère (before 1696) applies it to a place where people habitually meet.[4] The 20th century added rendez-vous spatial (1967), the docking of spacecraft.[4]

Timeline

  • 1578 – First record.[3]
  • 1583–1584 – A meeting place, Du Monin.[2]
  • 1606 – The meeting itself, Nicot.[4]
  • 1696 – A rendezvous of ships.[4]
  • 1967 – Rendez-vous spatial.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An appointment, a meeting arranged in advance: prendre rendez-vous, avoir rendez-vous chez le médecin.[7][1]
  2. A date: rendez-vous galant.[1]
  3. A meeting place: un rendez-vous de chasseurs.[4][2]
  4. (figurative) Être au rendez-vous: to be there as expected, avoir rendez-vous avec la chance.[7]
  5. Rendez-vous spatial: a space rendezvous, docking.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Rendez-vous.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/rendez-vous. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·