Etymograph

English

relais

Relais comes from French relais ‘relay’, and goes back to Old French relaier.

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400relaier1
  2. Frenchc. 1600–presentrelais2‘relay’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1803relais2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, French relais
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English relais
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1803, Essays on the Theory and Practice of the: “if the ground is level, the same person may…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400relaierWiktionary, French relais
  2. Frenchc. 1600–presentrelaisWiktionary, English relais‘relay’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1803relaisWiktionary, English relais. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1803, Essays on the Theory and Practice of the: “if the ground is level, the same person may…”

Linked words

through Old French relaier

relay

Today it means

noun A narrow space between the foot of the rampart and the scarp of the ditch, serving to catch any earth that may crumble off or be washed down, and prevent its falling into the ditch.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “relais”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for French relais. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old French relaier / relais

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