Etymologically
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repos

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁə.po/[1]

Forms

repos m (uncountable)[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from French reposer (“to rest”).[2][3][4] The verb, Old French reposer, continues Late Latin repausō, from pausō (“to halt, cease”).[3][1] Cognate with Catalan repòs, Italian riposo, Spanish reposo, Portuguese repouso and Romanian repaus.[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland says that the great land would remain en repos, at peace, free of troubles.[5][4]

Semantic evolution

About 1120 Benedeit's Voyage de saint Brendan uses it for the rest of the soul in paradise, and about 1160 the Roman d'Énéas for a person's rest after effort.[5] In the 15th century Froissart used it for a cradle.[4] Repos éternel is recorded in 1561.[5] A field left uncultivated is en repos from 1564.[5] Descartes in 1647 gives the physical sense, absence of movement.[5] Boileau in 1668 uses it for a caesura or pause in a line of verse, and Miège in 1688 for the effect of a cadence in music.[5] Repos hebdomadaire, the weekly day off, appears in Larousse in 1949.[6] Mountaineers used it from 1902 for a small rock ledge.[7] Repos !, “stand at ease!”, is a military command.[4][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – “Peace” in the Chanson de Roland.[5]
  • c. 1120 – The rest of the soul, in the Voyage de saint Brendan.[5]
  • c. 1160 – A person's rest, in Énéas.[5]
  • 1564 – A field left fallow.[5]
  • 1647 – Absence of movement, in Descartes.[5]
  • 1668 – A pause in verse, in Boileau.[5]
  • 1949 – Repos hebdomadaire.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Rest, the state of someone who has stopped working or moving: prendre du repos, un repos bien mérité.[9][10]
  2. A time off work: jour de repos, repos hebdomadaire, être de repos.[9][6]
  3. Absence of movement, immobility: muscle au repos.[10][5]
  4. (literary) Sleep: être respectueux du repos des autres.[10]
  5. (literary) Peace of mind, tranquillity: sans repos ni trêve, le repos éternel, the rest of the dead.[10][9][5]
  6. A pause in a line of verse or a piece of music.[5][6]
  7. (military) Repos !: stand at ease![4][8]
  8. Maison de repos: a convalescent home.[9][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)