Etymograph

English

rapprochement

Rapprochement comes from French rapprochement ‘act or process of getting closer together’, from rapprocher ‘to near, to approach’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *prokʷe.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*prokʷereconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprope‘near’
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEappropiāre
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400aprochier‘to approach’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentapprocher‘to approach, to come close to, to move towards’
  6. French, derivedc. 1600–presentrapprocher‘to near, to approach’
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentrapprochement‘act or process of getting closer together’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1869same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*prokʷereconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprope‘near’
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEappropiāre
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400aprochier‘to approach’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentapprocher‘to approach, to come close to, to move towards’
  6. French, derivedc. 1600–presentrapprocher‘to near, to approach’
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentrapprochement‘act or process of getting closer together’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1869same form

Earliest quotation: 1869, The Changes in the Government of France (Die Neue Freie Pres: “The inauguration of a liberal order of things, a…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *prokʷe

proximity, proximal, 3 more

through Latin prope ‘near’

proximate, 2 more

through Old French aprochier ‘to approach’

approach

Today it means

noun The reestablishment of cordial relations, particularly between two countries; a reconciliation.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *prokʷe / rapprochement

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