Rest In Peace.
The three letters are frequently inscribed on tombstones, or written on social media to show support during a death.
Recently, the death of the former President of the Republic Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was commented on on Twitter by a host of messages of condolence, in particular using the famous acronym.
Where is he from?
Its origin does not come from our neighbors the English.
It is much older.
The letters are the initials of the Latin phrase “requiescat in pace”, which means “may he rest in peace”.
These words come from a long ancestral Christian prayer: “Requiem æternam dona ei, Domine.
Et lux perpetua lucea ei: Requiescat in pace.
Amen."
This monophonic Gregorian chant spread throughout Europe during the first millennium.
We pray for the “eternal rest” of the soul of the deceased, asking that “the eternal light shine on him”.
We thus speak of “requiem mass” during the funeral of the deceased.
Mozart was inspired at the end of his life to write his famous "Requiem in D minor".
Bach, Brahms, Berlioz ... We can no longer count the number of illustrious composers who were inspired by this elegiac prayer.
But the Requiem, with intrinsically Christian roots, is not only the preserve of Catholics.
A little later, in 1887, Gabriel Fauré in turn composed his “lullaby of death” for “simple pleasure”, according to his own words.
If the acronym is mainly used by English speakers, it is because the three initials are the same as the translation "Rest in peace".
Initially inscribed on funeral stelae, the rise of social networks has allowed its wide expansion.
We say in French "let him rest in peace", "peace in his soul", or else "let his soul rest in peace", in memory of the Latin formula.
Note that we sometimes find the acronym "REP".
