épanouir

Forms

épanouir^[1] Old French espannir, espanir (still used in the 16th century), espanoïr (13th century) and espanouir (1564).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French espanir, borrowed from Frankish *spannjan (“to stretch”), with an altered ending.^[2][5][3][4] The Frankish verb is reconstructed after Old High German spannan and Middle High German spennen, of the same meaning, and belongs to the family of German spannen and of empan.^[2][3][4] Wiktionary compares the English word span, and mentions Latin expandō as another possible source.^[1] Littré took the Old French verb as a form of espandre “to spread”.^[6]

The change to the modern form is probably due to the influence of évanouir.^[2][3][7][4] Old French had the same form with the meaning “to wean”, from the Germanic verb in the sense “to separate”.^[3][4] The old form still lives in northern and Franco-Provençal dialects.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The participle espani “accomplished, proven” is found in Gautier d'Arras's Eracle (1176–1184); the verb itself appears about 1180, as intransitive espannir in the Roman de Renart, said of a flower that opens.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From the sense “to open” said of a flower came “to spread (one's wings)” in 1538.^[3] The idea of opening and spreading out led to figurative uses expressing relaxation and fullness, of the body, of happy feelings and of qualities.^[3] The reflexive s'épanouir means “to develop freely to the full”, a value Old French expressed with the participle espani “accomplished, proven” (1176–1184, larron espani) and “developed” (Froissart, 1372–1373).^[3][2]

In the 17th century the verb took the sense “to make happy and relaxed” (1671, reflexive 1675), said especially of a face.^[3][8] The noun épanouissement (15th century, first -nissement) was used figuratively before it named the opening of a corolla (1611).^[4][3]

Timeline

• 1176–1184 – The participle espani “accomplished” in Gautier d'Arras's Eracle.^[2][3]
• c. 1180 – Espannir “to open” of a flower, in the Roman de Renart.^[2][3]
• 13th century – The form espanoïr appears.^[2][3]
• 1372–1373 – Froissart uses espani “developed” of feelings.^[2]
• 1538 – Used for spreading wings.^[3]
• 1539 – Bloch and Wartburg's first record of épanouir.^[4][7]
• 1564 – Thierry records espanouir.^[2]
• 1671 – The sense “to make joyful” appears.^[3][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To open (a flower) by spreading its petals; by extension, to spread out, unfold: le paon épanouit sa queue.^[8][2]
2. (figurative) To relax and brighten, to make joyful: la nouvelle épanouit son visage.^[8][6]
3. To allow someone to develop fully: ce métier l'a épanoui.^[8]
4. (reflexive) Of a flower: to open fully, to bloom.^[8][1]
5. (reflexive, figurative) To develop freely to the full, to thrive, to flourish.^[3][1]

Word family

• épanouissement
• épanouissant

Related words

• empan
• évanouir

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 164b
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert