reprocher

Forms

reprocher^[1] Old French reprochier; the modern spelling reprocher dates from the 15th century.^[2][3] Anglo-Norman forms include reprucher and repruecher.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French reprochier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *repropiō, a Vulgar Latin verb meaning “to bring near, set before the eyes” and by extension “to remonstrate, object”.^[5][6][1][7] It was formed from Latin re- with intensive force and prope (“near”), on the model of Late Latin appropiō (“to approach”), the source of approcher.^[5][3][2] The DHLF and the Robert write the reconstructed verb as *repropriō.^[2][8]

The verb is found only in Gallo-Romance: Old Occitan has repropchar, while Spanish reprochar was borrowed from French.^[6][2] Littré also cites Berry repreucher and Italian rimprocciare.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Conception Nostre Dame (about 1145) uses it for reminding someone of something unpleasant; the Robert dates reprochier in this sense to 1132.^[5][8] The noun reproche, first as reproce, is recorded earlier, about 1080.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

By 1170, in Chrétien de Troyes' Erec et Enide, it meant to blame someone by holding them responsible for a fault, the main modern sense.^[5][2] The classical construction with que (1640) or de ce que (before 1662) and the indicative gave way to reprocher à quelqu'un d'avoir fait with the infinitive.^[2][3]

In legal language it meant to challenge an account (1339) and then to object to a witness by stating a reason (1538), a sense that survived only in law.^[5][2] The familiar phrase reprocher les morceaux à quelqu'un, to make someone feel that they eat too much, is recorded by the Académie in 1718.^[5][2] The reflexive se reprocher, to blame oneself, appears in 1671 according to the TLFi and in 1686 according to the DHLF.^[5][2][10]

In several regions of France and in Belgium, a food was said to reprocher to someone when it gave them heartburn, a familiar use recorded in the 19th century that dropped out of standard French.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1145 – Wace has the verb for recalling something unpleasant.^[5]
• 1170 – Chrétien de Troyes uses it for blaming someone for a fault.^[5]
• 1339 – Reprocier un compte “to dispute an account” is recorded.^[5]
• 1538 – Estienne records reprocher tesmoings, to challenge witnesses.^[5]
• 15th century – The spelling reprocher replaces reprochier.^[2]
• 1671 – Bouhours uses the reflexive se reprocher.^[5]
• 1718 – The Académie records reprocher les morceaux à quelqu'un.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To reproach someone with something, to blame them for a thing one holds them responsible for: Il reproche à son frère son manque de patience.^[11][12]
2. Reprocher à quelqu'un de + infinitive: to blame someone for doing something.^[12][5]
3. To find fault with a thing: ce que je reproche à ce livre, c'est sa longueur.^[12]
4. (law, dated) To object to a witness by giving a reason.^[5][2]
5. Se reprocher: to blame oneself for something, to feel responsible for it: il n'a rien à se reprocher.^[12][5]

Word family

• reproche
• irréprochable
• reprochable
• reprocheur

Related words

• approcher
• rapprocher
• Latin prope

Usage notes

Je ne vous reproche rien is said to soften a remark that might sound like a criticism.^[11][12]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 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. 10, 278a
8. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
12. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)