Etymologically
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rire

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁiʁ/[1]

Forms

rire[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French rire, inherited from Vulgar Latin *rīdere, a popular form with short ⟨e⟩ of classical inherited from Latin rīdeō (“to laugh; to smile; to mock”).[2][3][4][5][1] The Latin verb was used absolutely and transitively, and in poetry of things, like Ancient Greek γελάω (geláō); it is old and found in all the Romance languages, but its origin is not clear: Ernout and Meillet mention a possible link with Sanskrit “krīḍ-” “to play”.[3]

Cognate with Italian ridere, Catalan riure, Spanish reír and Portuguese rir.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) with its present sense, and in the reflexive ore s'en rit Rollant “now Roland laughs at it”, meaning “to mock”.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Many phrases describe the manner of laughing: rire sous son chaperon (about 1350), later rire sous cape (1643), rire dans sa barbe (1694), rire jaune (1640, jaune comme farine), rire aux éclats (1779), mourir de rire (1690) and the proverb rira bien qui rira le dernier (1690).[2][3][8] Rire aux anges is recorded about 1440.[2]

Rire de “to mock” is found about 1165, and rire au nez de quelqu'un in 1609.[2][3] From Jean de Meun (1269–1278) things too could laugh, having a bright, cheerful look.[2] Sans rire “seriously” is in Pathelin (1464), and pour rire “in jest” in the 16th century.[2] The infinitive used as a noun, le rire, dates from the 13th century.[9][4]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Rire and se rire in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1165 – Rire de “to make fun of”.[2]
  • 13th century – The noun le rire.[9][4]
  • 1269–1278 – Of things, “to look cheerful”, in Jean de Meun.[2]
  • c. 1440 – Rire aux anges.[2]
  • 1464 – Sans rire in Pathelin.[2]
  • 1640 – Rire jaune comme farine.[2]
  • 1690 – Rira bien qui rira le dernier.[3][8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To laugh: rire aux éclats, rire jaune.[6][10]
  2. Rire de: to make fun of, mock.[10][1]
  3. To have fun, to joke: pour rire, sans rire, vous voulez rire.[8][2]
  4. (literary) To look bright and cheerful: la campagne rit.[2]
  5. (literary) Se rire de: to make light of, scorn.[3][2]

Noun

  1. A laugh; laughter: un petit rire discret.[10][1]

Word family

  • rieur
  • riant
  • risée
  • risible
  • sourire
  • ridicule
  • dérision
  • Latin rīdeō

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 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c 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. 10, 395b
  6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)