Etymologically
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risquer

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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

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