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élargir

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Etymology and origin of the French word élargir

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1160 Enéas More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Latin largus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin lārgus
Catalan llarg
French large
French élargir
Italian largo
English largo
Romanian larg
Spanish largo
From the same root
Latin largē ← lārgus
Latin lārgior ← lārgus
Latin largiter ← lārgus
Romanian lărgi ← larg

Pronunciation

  • /e.laʁ.ʒiʁ/[1]

Forms

élargir[1] Old French eslargir, also ellargir; the spelling élargir is from the 17th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French é- + large + -ir, first as Old French eslargir.[4][5][6][1] The prefix continues Latin ex-, here with intensive value.[2] The adjective comes from largus (“abundant, generous”).[7]

Compare Picard élarguir, Old Occitan eslargar, eslargir and Italian slargare.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded about 1160 in the Roman d'Enéas, meaning “to make wider”.[4]

Semantic evolution

Old French eslargir also meant “to extend, increase” and “to grant generously”, a sense from large “generous” that was already old in the 17th century;[2][3] Benoît de Sainte-Maure has essaucier et eslargir Normandy about 1160.[2][3] The reflexive “to set oneself free” is recorded about 1240,[4] and in legal use the verb means “to release from prison” from the 14th century (1333 according to the GLLF, 1355 according to Bloch and Wartburg and the Petit Robert).[2][7][6] It took over the older phrase mettre au large “to set at liberty”.[8]

The figurative senses “to broaden (ideas, knowledge)” and “to give more scope to” are dated from Montaigne (1580).[2] The familiar intransitive “to fill out, put on breadth” is from the early 20th century.[2][6]

Timeline

  • c. 1160 – Eslargir “to make wider” appears in the Enéas.[4]
  • c. 1240 – The reflexive is used for “to free oneself”.[4]
  • 1314 – The noun élargissement is recorded.[7]
  • 1333 – Recorded for releasing a prisoner.[2]
  • 1580 – Montaigne uses it figuratively.[2]
  • 1690 – Furetière records élargissure.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make wider, to widen: élargir un sentier, faire élargir un pantalon; also to make something look wider.[6][4]
  2. To make larger or more extensive, to broaden: élargir le débat, élargir ses connaissances.[6][2]
  3. (law) To release a prisoner.[6][2]
  4. (intransitive, familiar) To fill out, put on breadth.[6][2]
  5. s'élargir To become wider or larger: le chemin s'élargit.[6][4]

Word family

  • élargissement
  • élargissure

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Élargir.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9largir. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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