représailles

Forms

représailles f pl (rare singular représaille)^[1] Middle French reprisailles (1401), réprésailles and riprisailles (1443).^[2][3] The singular represaille is recorded from 1564 and seems to go out of use in the second half of the 18th century.^[2][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin represalia (“reprisals”), a plural noun recorded in 1288.^{[2][4][5][3][6]} The Medieval Latin word was probably modelled on Italian rappresaglia or ripresaglia (14th century), properly “the taking back of what was taken”, from riprendere (“to take back”), from Latin reprendere.^{[2][4][5][3][7]} The TLFi gives the Italian model as possible only, Rey as probable.^[2][4] The form reprisailles was refashioned in 1443.^[4]

The English word reprisal comes from the Anglo-Norman and Old French reprisaille, of the same Italian source.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1401, as reprisailles, in a document of the reign of Charles VI, for damage inflicted by way of retaliation.^[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs first to the law of nations: violent measures, unlawful in themselves, that a state takes in answer to an equally unlawful act by another state.^[4][7] Under the old law the lettre de représailles (1611) was a royal letter allowing a wronged private person to take redress himself; the use disappeared with that practice.^[4][2]

From 1654 the word spread to any personal retort to ill treatment;^[4] La Fontaine used it in 1665 for returning insult for insult, and the phrase user de représailles, recorded by the Académie in 1718, has become old-fashioned.^[3][4]

Timeline

• 1401 – First record, as reprisailles.^[2][4]
• 1443 – The forms réprésailles and riprisailles in royal ordinances.^[2][3]
• 1564 – Thierry records the singular represaille.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records droict de represailles and lettres de represailles.^[2][4]
• 1654 – Extended to any individual retaliation.^[4]
• 1718 – The Académie records user de représailles.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (international law) Reprisals: violent measures that one state or organised group inflicts on another in answer to a wrong it has suffered: par représailles, user de représailles.^[2][7]
2. Damage inflicted on a population by occupying troops in retaliation for an attack.^[3][2]
3. By extension, any personal retort to ill treatment; vengeance: Il redoutait les représailles de ses voisins.^[7][4]

Related words

• reprendre
• reprise
• English reprisal

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 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 h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 275b
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com