Etymologically
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ressembler

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁə.sɑ̃.ble/[1]

Forms

ressembler[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French re- + sembler.[2][3][1] It was made on the original meaning of sembler, “to be like”, which the simple verb had from Late Latin similō (“to be like”) (from similis (“like”)) and kept beside “to seem” until the 16th century.[4][5]

Cognate with Old Occitan ressemblar and Italian risembrare.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it is transitive: Par tels paroles vus resemblez enfant, “by such words you resemble a child”.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The construction with à is found in Wace in 1155 but spread only from the 15th and 16th centuries; the transitive use was still common in the 17th century and survives in some dialects.[2][4][3] Se ressembler “to be alike” is in Du Bellay (1559).[2] Madame de Sévigné writes of actions that are worthy of their author: cela lui ressemble (1690), and the Académie records cela ne ressemble à rien in 1798.[2][7] The proverb qui se ressemble s'assemble means “birds of a feather flock together”.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Transitive resembler in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • 1155 – Resembler a aucun, Wace.[2]
  • 1559 – Se ressembler, Du Bellay.[2]
  • 1690 – Cela lui ressemble, Madame de Sévigné.[2]
  • 1798 – Cela ne ressemble à rien, in the Académie dictionary.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Ressembler à: to resemble, to look like or be like someone or something: elle ressemble à sa mère.[8][9]
  2. Cela lui ressemble: that is just like him or her, cela ne lui ressemble pas: that is unlike him or her.[6][2]
  3. (familiar) À quoi ça ressemble?: what does it look like? ça ne ressemble à rien: it is meaningless or shapeless.[8][7]
  4. Se ressembler: to be alike: se ressembler comme deux gouttes d'eau.[1][2]

Word family

  • ressemblance
  • ressemblant

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 624b
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)