Etymologically
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rigoler

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁi.ɡɔ.le/[1]

Forms

rigoler[1]

Etymology

The origin is disputed.[2][3][4] The TLFi, the FEW and Bloch and Wartburg see a blend of Old French riole (“pleasure party”), from the family of rire, with gale (“merrymaking”) and the verb galer (“to have fun, live merrily”), the family of galant, which lent its ⟨g⟩ to the new verb.[5][6][7] They note the tendency of Gallo-Romance dialects to form verbs on that verb with slightly altered meanings, such as one meaning “to laugh a little”.[7][2] A blend of the verb for laughing with régaler has also been suggested.[2][3] Pierre Guiraud proposed a base ⟨ric-⟩, ⟨rig-⟩ (as in ricaner), from Vulgar Latin *rīdicō, derived from Latin rīdeō (“to laugh”).[2][3] Littré reported Scheler's comparison with Old High German rīga and German Reigen (“round dance”).[8]

The DHLF notes that the verb must be older than its derivative rigolage “merrymaking”, found in Chrétien de Troyes about 1175.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Late in the 13th century, in the Isopet de Chartres, it means to have great fun, to joke;[5] Jean de Meun uses it transitively for “to amuse”.[5]

Semantic evolution

The transitive sense “to mock someone” (1306) and the pronominal se rigoler “to enjoy oneself” (1306), used until the 18th century, have gone out of use.[2][5][7] In popular use the intransitive verb meant to eat and drink merrily among friends (1655), and in 19th-century slang to have a good time, also to make love.[5][2]

The modern familiar sense “to laugh, have fun” is recorded in the slang of the Brest prison in 1821, and “to joke, not be serious” in 1875.[5][4][7] Derivatives include rigolade (1815), rigolo (1852) and rigolard (late 19th century).[7]

Timeline

  • c. 1175 – The noun rigolage in Chrétien de Troyes.[2][3]
  • Late 13th century – In the Isopet de Chartres.[5]
  • 1306 – “To mock someone” and se rigoler in Guillaume Guiart.[5]
  • 1655 – Borel: to feast among friends.[5]
  • 1815 – Rigolade.[7]
  • 1821 – “To laugh”, in the slang of the Brest prison.[5][9]
  • 1852 – Rigolo.[7]
  • 1875 – “To joke”.[5][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (familiar) To laugh, have fun: on a bien rigolé, il n'y a pas de quoi rigoler.[4][1]
  2. (familiar) To joke, not to be serious: j'ai dit ça pour rigoler, tu rigoles !.[4][1]
  3. (familiar) To make fun of something.[4]
  4. (dated, popular) To have a good time, live it up.[5]

Word family

  • rigolade
  • rigolard
  • rigolo

Usage notes

A second rigoler, a farming term meaning to cut channels in ground, is derived from rigole “channel” (1297); the Grand Robert and the TLFi give it a numbered entry of its own.[3][10][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 398b
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse