Etymologically
Log in

tâter

Etymology and origin of the French word tâter

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
early 12th century, Cambridge Psalter
Inherited from
Latin *tasto via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (tangō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ta.te/[1]
  • IPA: /tɑ.te/[1]

Forms

tâter[1] Old French taster; the spelling tâter is recorded from 1636 and in the Académie from 1740.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French taster, inherited from Vulgar Latin *tastāre, a contraction of *taxitāre, frequentative of Latin taxō (“to touch often and hard”),[3][4][1][5] an intensive of tangō (“to touch”).[6][7] Rey derives it from a Vulgar Latin *taxicare.[6] Because Old French “taster” often meant “to taste”, a form crossed from gustō (“to taste”) and “tangere” has been proposed;[4][6] Bloch and Wartburg and Rey find it unnecessary, the step from “touch” to “taste” being natural.[4][6]

Cognate with Italian tastare, Old Occitan tastar and Old Spanish “tastar”, which also had both senses.[4][8] German tasten (“to grope”) comes from the Romance languages.[8] Compare English taste.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has Mains unt, e ne tasterunt “they have hands, and do not feel”, in the sense “to explore by touch”.[3][8]

Semantic evolution

Wace has taster al pulz “to feel the pulse” about 1155, and taster le pous follows in the Roman de Renart;[3] from 1594 tâter le pouls à qqn meant “to sound out someone's feelings”.[3] In Old French taster also meant “to explore (a country)”, “to strike” and “to caress”, and taster de “to enjoy, have one's share of” (about 1160) and “to taste (food)” (Chrétien de Troyes);[3][6] tâter le vin (1373) survives in tastevin, the wine-taster's cup.[6]

Tâter l'ennemi “to probe the enemy” is recorded by the Académie in 1718.[3] Tâter le pavé “to walk hesitantly” (1680) gave way to tâter le terrain “to feel one's way” (1690, Madame de Sévigné),[3][6] and se tâter “to hesitate, deliberate” is current.[6][9] Tâter de “to try one's hand at” (tâter d'un métier) survives.[6]

Timeline

  • Early 12th century – Taster in the Cambridge Psalter.[3]
  • c. 1155 – Taster al pulz in Wace.[3]
  • c. 1160 – Taster de “to enjoy”, in the Eneas.[3]
  • c. 1175 – A tastons “groping”.[6]
  • 1373 – Tâter le vin.[6]
  • 1594 – Taster le poux “to sound out”.[3]
  • 1690 – Tâter le terrain in Sévigné.[3]
  • 1718 – Tâter l'ennemi.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To feel or touch carefully with the hand in order to examine: tâter un fruit, tâter le pouls: to take the pulse.[9][10]
  2. Tâter le terrain: to feel one's way, proceed with caution.[10][9]
  3. To sound out (someone) by careful questioning: tâter l'opinion.[9]
  4. Tâter de: to try, have a taste of (something): tâter de la prison.[9][6]
  5. (reflexive) Se tâter: to hesitate, think it over.[9][6]

Word family

  • tâtonner
  • retâter
  • tâtonner
  • à tâtons
  • tâtillon
  • tâte-vin

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
  4. ^ a b c d 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. 13/1, 140a
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Tâter.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/t%C3%A2ter. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·