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élan

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Etymology and origin of the French word élan

élan1 impetus, spirit

Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
1409 Livre des faits du maréchal Boucicaut
Ultimate origin
Late Latin lanceō

Pronunciation

  • /e.lɑ̃/[1]
  • Louisiana: [e.lɑ̃][1]

Forms

élan m (plural élans)[1] Middle French eslan (1409).[2][3]

Etymology

The word for impetus is a back-formation from French élancer, first spelled eslan.[2][4][5][3] The verb is formed on lancer; the FEW files the family under Late Latin lanceāre.[5][6] Rey notes that it is no longer felt as linked to the simple verb and hardly to the prefixed one.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1409 the Livre des faits of Marshal Boucicaut has eslan, a movement made in springing forward.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

It served as the action noun of s'élancer, literally and figuratively, the figurative use dating from 1572 (Amyot, of the impulses of the passions).[5][7][3] From 1690 it took on a spiritual value, a surge of the soul or feeling, as in an élan de tendresse.[5][7][8] In sport it is the run-up before a jump (prendre son élan), and in 1907 Bergson named the creative force of life l'élan vital.[8][1] Older French also used it at sea for a ship's yawing.[3]

Timeline

  • 1409 – Eslan in the Livre des faits of Boucicaut.[2]
  • 1572 – Amyot uses it figuratively, of the passions.[7][5][3]
  • 1669 – Molière uses it.[7]
  • 1690 – Furetière records it of a surge of the soul.[7][5]
  • 1907 – Bergson's élan vital.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A movement made to spring forward; in sport, a run-up: prendre son élan;[8][2][1] d'un seul élan, in one go.[8][2][1]
  2. The momentum of something moving: Emporté par son élan, le cycliste a manqué le virage.[8][7]
  3. (figurative) An impetus given to something.[8]
  4. (philosophy) Élan vital: in Bergson, the creative vital force running through matter.[8]
  5. A sudden surge of feeling; fervour, verve.[8][1][3]
  6. (Louisiana) A while, a spell of time.[1]

élan2 elk, moose

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1275–1300 late 13th century, Sone de Nansay
Borrowed from
Middle High German elend
Ultimate origin
Middle High German elend

Pronunciation

Forms

élan m (plural élans)[1] Earlier forms: hele (late 13th century), hellent (1414), the plural eslams (1519), ellend (1564) and ellan (1609).[2][5][4]

Etymology

The word for the moose is probably borrowed from Middle High German elend, elen, the High German name of the animal, which comes from the Baltic languages (compare Lithuanian élnis).[2][5][9][4][10] The oldest form, hele, may have been taken directly from a Baltic language.[2][5] Wiktionary gives German Elen, Elend as the source and calls the Baltic origin possible.[1] Littré compared Dutch eland and Welsh words for “fawn” and “roe deer”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Hele in Sone de Nansay (late 13th century) names the large deer of northern lands.[2][5]

Timeline

  • late 13th century – Hele in Sone de Nansay.[2]
  • 1414 – Hellent in Guillebert de Lannoy's Voyage.[2]
  • 1519 – The plural eslams.[2][11]
  • 1564 – Thierry has ellend.[2]
  • 1609 – Ellan.[4][5]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave has élan.[9][11]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The elk or moose, a large deer of northern lands whose male has broad, flattened antlers;[8][2][1] élan du Canada, the North American moose.[8][2][1]

Usage notes

In Canada the moose is called orignal.[2][8][5] The name of the African antelope éland, used in French from 1961, seems to share the origin of élan “moose”: it came through English eland (1786) from Afrikaans, of German origin.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 155a
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  10. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 15/2, 87a
  11. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF

Related etymologies

  • bride · also from Middle High German
  • cric · also from Middle High German
  • quille · also from Middle High German
Cite this entry

“Élan.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9lan. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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