renfrogner

Forms

renfrogner^[1] Old French refrongnier, refroigner; the older refrogner was still used in the 19th century and, as an archaism, by Gide.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from French refrogner, with a nasal vowel in the first syllable that appears in the 16th century.^[4][3][5] The older verb is formed with the prefix re-, also seen in renâcler and renifler, on the Old French verb frognier (“to wrinkle the mouth, snort; to frown”).^[2][4][6] That verb is from the noun frongne (“sullen face”), which is probably from Gaulish *frogna (“nostrils”).^[2][4][7] The Gaulish form is reconstructed from Welsh ffroen (“nose”),^[4][6] and eastern dialect forms such as that of the Vosges for “snout” keep the original sense of “making a snout”.^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1220 in Gautier de Coinci, as the substantivized participle li refrongniez, a name of the Devil.^[2][4] About 1250 refroigner means “to wrinkle the face”.^[2] The noun frongne is found in the phrase faire la frongne “to look sullen” from the end of the 13th century.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The nasalized se renfrongner is recorded in Robert Estienne in 1539,^[2] and the GLLF finds se renfrogner in Montaigne in 1580.^[8] The verb is rare as a transitive and is used mostly as a reflexive; the concrete idea of wrinkling the nose and face almost always carries a note of bad temper.^[4][2] Its derivatives took the nasal form too: renfrognement (1553) replaced refrognement (1539), and renfrogné (1580) replaced refrogné and is the commonest word of the group, said of a face, a look or a person.^[4][6]

Timeline

• c. 1220 – Li refrongniez “the Devil” in Gautier de Coinci.^[2][4]
• c. 1250 – Refroigner “to wrinkle the face”.^[2]
• c. 1350 – The simple verb frognier is recorded in Gilles le Muisit.^[2]
• 1539 – Robert Estienne records se renfrongner and refrognement.^[2]
• 1553 – Renfrognement appears.^[2][4]
• 1580 – Renfrogné and the reflexive se renfrogner in Montaigne.^[4][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. (reflexive, se renfrogner) To show one's displeasure by a contracted, sullen expression; to scowl, frown: il se renfrogna en lisant la lettre.^[5][2][8]
2. (transitive, rare) To make (the face) contract in displeasure.^[2]

Word family

• renfrognement
• renfrogné

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 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 k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 817a
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse