Etymology: Partly < Anglo-Norman and Middle French regret (French regret ) lamentation (1150 in Old French as regrés , plural noun), sorrow, disappointment (c1377; < regretter regret v.), and partly < regret v. Compare slightly earlier regrate n.²

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Middle French regreter, regretter (French regretter ) to express sorrow at the loss of (a person, thing, etc.) (c1050 in Old French), to feel sorrow for the loss or absence of (a thing or person) (c1200), to feel or express sorrow, distress, disappointment, etc., on account of (some event, fact, etc.) (1534), further etymology uncertain and disputed (see below). Compare later regrate v.², regret n.It has repeatedly been suggested that the French verb is derived from an unattested post-classical Latin etymon, a form *requiritare ‘to cry out again’ ( < re- re- prefix + classical Latin quirītāre to cry out in protest: see quiritation n.) commonly being supposed, but all such attempts pose considerable formal problems. It is more likely that the verb is a compound < Anglo-Norman and Old French re- re- prefix + the Germanic base of greet v.² (with addition of the prefix perhaps being on the model of verbs denoting mental and emotional states and activities, e.g. recorder record v.¹, remembrer remember v.¹, repentir repent v.), although this likewise poses some phonological problems; for example, the medieval French variants regrater , regratter (see regrate v.²) are difficult to account for. See further Französisches etymol. Wörterbuch XVI. at grāta (which suggests an early Scandinavian origin; compare Old Icelandic gráta greet v.²) and also Trésor de la langue française at regretter.