rincer

Forms

rincer^[1] Old French raincer (about 1206), rinser (14th century), then rincer (15th century).^[2][3] Anglo-Norman had rinchier, rinser and ryncer.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French raïncier, probably a dissimilated form of Old French recincier “to rinse” (about 1167), from Vulgar Latin *recentiō (“to refresh, to wash”), from Late Latin recentō (“to refresh”), from recēns (“fresh, new”).^{[5][2][6][7][8]} The Vulgar Latin verb survives in dialect forms of northern Italy, from Ferrara through the Po plain to Piedmont, meaning “to refresh, to wash”.^[5][6]

Littré and Wiktionary also mention a derivation from Old Norse hreinsa (“to cleanse”) (Diez's view);^[9][1] Littré set against it the Picard rechincher,^[9] and the OED, quoted by Etymonline, thinks the likeness to the Norse verb probably accidental.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1210 Guiot de Provins uses it in his Bible for cleaning a vessel by washing and scrubbing it: cil netoie, levë et rince.^[5][9]

Semantic evolution

The general sense “to clean by wetting and rubbing” now survives only of vessels and in se rincer la bouche (1673).^[2][5] Of laundry it meant passing washed linen through clean water (Palsgrave, 1530; in this exact sense, 1828).^[5][2]

Slang and familiar senses came early: “to beat” (rainser, 1391), “to rob, to ruin” (1821, at gambling), and, in the passive, being soaked by rain (1740).^[5][2] Rincer le gosier “to drink” is from the 15th century, followed by se rincer le corridor (1865) and se rincer la dalle (1866); se rincer l'œil “to enjoy looking at an attractive sight” dates from 1883.^[2][5]

English rinse comes from the Old French verb, about 1300.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 1210 – Guiot de Provins uses rince “cleans by washing”.^[5]
• c. 1300 – English borrows it as rinsen.^[10]
• 1391 – Rainser means “to beat”.^[5][2]
• 1530 – Palsgrave records it of rinsing linen.^[5]
• 1673 – Se rincer la bouche is recorded.^[5][2]
• 1740 – The Académie records il a été bien rincé “he got soaked”.^[5]
• 1821 – It means “to rob, to fleece” in the slang of the Brest prison.^[5]
• 1883 – Se rincer l'œil is recorded.^[5][2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To clean (a vessel) with water: rincer des tasses.^[11][5]
2. To rinse (washed linen, hands, the body) in clean water to remove soap.^[11][5]
3. (familiar) Of rain, to drench: se faire rincer.^[11][5]
4. (familiar) Se rincer le gosier, se rincer la dalle: to drink, and se rincer l'œil: to look with pleasure at an attractive sight.^[11][2]
5. (slang) To fleece, to ruin, especially at gambling.^[11][5]

Word family

• rinçure
• rincette
• rince-bouche
• rinceur
• rinçoir
• rinçage

Related words

• récent
• Latin recēns
• English rinse

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ 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 q r 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 140b
9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert