Etymologically
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retirer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁə.ti.ʁe/[1]

Forms

retirer[1]

Etymology

It is from French re- + tirer (“to pull”).[2][3][4][1] Rey notes that its frequency and many senses have partly obscured the link with “tirer”.[3] Littré points out that the prefix means “again” in some uses and “back” in others.[5] The origin of “tirer” itself is uncertain: Bloch and Wartburg think it was probably detached from Old French “martirier” “to torture”.[6][7]

Compare Old Occitan retirar, Spanish retirar and Italian ritirare.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 12th century (Wace's Roman de Rou, 1160–74, Aliscans) it meant to shorten the reins of a horse, a sense later taken by tirer; the TLF-Étym sees no continuity between these medieval uses and the modern verb.[2][8][3]

Semantic evolution

The TLF-Étym dates the modern senses from the late Middle Ages: “to take out” about 1393 (the Ménagier de Paris), “to draw back towards oneself” after 1450, “to retract” about 1450, and “to take back something deposited” in 1532.[8] Commynes (about 1500) has it for revoking an act, Molière (1664) for going back on one's word, and a play is withdrawn from the stage before 1771.[8] Retirer son épingle du jeu, to get out of a tricky situation, is from 1584.[8] Retirer qqn du tombeau “to bring back to life” is in d'Urfé (1610).[8] The 16th century also had “to resemble” (retirer à, 1538), now obsolete except in Berry, where George Sand found retirance.[3]

Timeline

  • 1160–74 – To shorten the reins, Wace.[2]
  • c. 1393 – To take out, Ménagier de Paris.[8]
  • c. 1500 – To revoke, Commynes.[8]
  • 1532 – To take back a deposit.[8]
  • 1584 – Retirer son épingle du jeu.[8]
  • 1664 – Retirer sa parole, Molière.[8]
  • before 1771 – To withdraw a play.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To take off, remove: retirer son manteau, retirer ses lunettes.[1][8]
  2. To take out, pull out: retirer la clé de la serrure, retirer qqn de l'eau.[4][1]
  3. To withdraw (money); to collect: retirer de l'argent, retirer un colis.[1][8]
  4. To take back, take away: retirer sa confiance à qqn, retirer sa candidature, retirer ce qu'on a dit.[8]
  5. To withdraw from sale or the stage: retirer un produit.[8]
  6. To draw (a benefit): retirer un avantage de.[4]
  7. Se retirer: to withdraw, leave; to retire; of the sea, to recede.[1][4]
  8. Retirer son épingle du jeu: to get out while one can.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ 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. 6/1, 403a
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Steinfeld, Nadine; Buchi, Éva, eds. (2005–), TLF-Étym: révision des notices étymologiques du Trésor de la langue française informatisé, Nancy: ATILF