regretter

English

Etymology

regret +‎ -er.

Noun

regretter (plural regretters)

1. One who regrets.
   • 1940, Ernest James Oldmeadow, Francis, Cardinal Bourne, page 311:

     Catholics were not the only regretters of the British Government's lack of courtesy to Cardinal Lauri during his two passings through England and Wales.

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French regretter, regreter, from Old French regreter (“to lament”), from re- (“intensive prefix”) +‎ greter (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”) and Frankish *greotan (“to cry, weep”), from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (“to weep, cry”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrew- (“to weep, be sad”). Akin to Old High German grāzan (“to cry”), Old English grǣtan (“to weep, greet”), Old English grēotan (“to weep, lament”), Old Norse gráta (“to weep, groan”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (grētan, “to weep”). More at greet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.ɡʁɛ.te/, /ʁə.ɡʁe.te/

• audio

  (file)

Verb

regretter

1. to regret

   Je regrette de t’avoir parlé ainsi tout à l’heure. ― I regret having spoken to you like that earlier.

   Non, je ne regrette rien. ― No, I don't regret anything.

   Je regrette qu’il soit parti si tôt. ― I'm sorry that he left so early.

2. to miss

   On le regrettera. ― He will be missed.

   Je regrette mon argent. ― I wish I hadn't spent my money.

Conjugation

Related terms

• regret

Descendants

• → Ladino: regretar

Further reading

• “regretter”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French regreter (“to lament”), from re- (“intensive prefix”) +‎ greter (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”) and Frankish *greotan (“to cry, weep”), from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (“to weep, cry”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrew- (“to weep, be sad”).

Verb

regretter

1. to regret

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.