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équivoquer

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Etymology and origin of the French word équivoquer

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1520 Fabri, Rhétorique More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
French équivoque

Forms

équivoquer (intransitive verb, first group, conjugated with avoir).[1][2]

Etymology

It is a derivative from French équivoque, with the verb ending -er.[3][4][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Fabri's Rhétorique (1520) as a transitive verb, equivoquer ses termes, meaning to use one term for another.[3][4][6]

Semantic evolution

The intransitive use, “to use equivocal words”, appears in the mid-16th century with Amyot.[4][6][1] The transitive sense fell out of use, and the verb is now literary, for not expressing oneself clearly in order to mislead.[7][8] An older sense, to make puns or plays on words, is now obsolete.[1][8][5]

In classical French the reflexive s'équivoquer meant to be mistaken (Guez de Balzac, before 1654),[6] and Littré defines it as saying one word for another without meaning to.[1]

Timeline

  • 1520 – Fabri's Rhétorique uses it transitively, “to use one term for another”.[3][4]
  • mid-16th century – Amyot uses it intransitively.[6][1]
  • before 1654 – Guez de Balzac uses the reflexive s'équivoquer “to be mistaken”.[6]
  • 1897 – Léon Bloy uses the derivative équivoquement.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (literary, dated) To use equivocal words, usually in order to mislead.[8][2][5]
  2. (obsolete) To make puns or plays on words.[8][5][1]
  3. (familiar) To say one word for another without meaning to.[3][9]

Word family

  • équivoquement
  • équivoque

Usage notes

The past participle survives in prosody: a rime équivoquée is a rhyme in which the same group of sounds has a different full meaning in each line.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  2. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  3. ^ a b c d 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
  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 Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
Cite this entry

“Équivoquer.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9quivoquer. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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