risquer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʁis.ke/^[1]

Forms

risquer^[1]

Etymology

It is from French risque + -er.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} risque (1578) was borrowed from Italian risco, now “rischio”, compare the verb risicare.^[5][6] Bloch and Wartburg trace “risco” to a Latin “resecum”, a deverbal noun from Latin resecō (“to cut back”), “that which cuts”, hence a reef and the risk run by goods at sea; the REW proposed a Greek “rhizikon” “cliff”, a view it itself called doubtful.^[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The reflexive se risquer, “to take a chance”, is in Gabriel Meurier's Trésor des sentences (1577): Qui ne se risque jamais ne sera riche.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The absolute risquer is found in 1596, and with an object in Montchrestien (1604): De risquer pour ton bien tes moyens et ta vie.^[3][2] The Académie (1694) records risquer le tout pour le tout and vous risquez de beaucoup perdre, the sense “to run the risk of”, La Fontaine has risquer le paquet.^[2][4] To submit a work or an opinion to the chance of failure is in Destouches (1736), and Hugo's risquer son regard (1862) means to peep cautiously.^[2] Qui ne risque rien n'a rien is recorded by the Académie in 1798.^[4] In modern French risquer de also simply means “to be likely to”.^[1]

Timeline

• 1577 – Se risquer.^[2]
• 1578 – Risque.^[5]
• 1596 – Risquer used absolutely.^[3]
• 1604 – Risquer something, Montchrestien.^[2]
• 1694 – Risquer le tout pour le tout.^[2]
• 1716 – Risquable, Marivaux.^[2]
• 1736 – To venture a work, Destouches.^[2]
• 1798 – Qui ne risque rien n'a rien.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To risk, put at risk: risquer sa vie, risquer le tout pour le tout, qui ne risque rien n'a rien.^[8][1]
2. To run the risk of, face: risquer la prison, risquer de perdre.^[1][2]
3. To be likely to: il risque de pleuvoir.^[1]
4. To venture, try: risquer une question, risquer un œil.^[2][6]
5. Se risquer: to venture: se risquer dehors, se risquer à.^[8]

Word family

• risqué
• risquable
• risque-tout

Related words

• risque
• Italian rischio

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert