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étudier

Etymology and origin of the French word étudier

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1155, Wace, Roman de Brut
Ultimate origin
Latin (studium)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French étudier
French étudiant

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.ty.dje/[1]

Forms

étudier[1]

Etymology

It is from Old French estudie (“study”), a variant of estuide (see étude).[2][3][4] Compare Latin studeō (“to be eager, apply oneself, (Imperial Latin) to study”).[2][4][5] Littré derives it from studium (“zeal, study”).[6]

It matches Occitan estudiar, Spanish estudiar, Portuguese estudar and Italian studiare.[6] Littré gives Walloon sitûdî.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Roman de Brut (1155) uses it for seeking to acquire knowledge: mult sout e mult estudia “he knew much and studied much”.[2]

Semantic evolution

By about 1200 it also meant “to apply oneself to (doing something)”.[2] The present participle étudiant named the students of the University of Paris in theology and medicine in 1261, and Oresme uses it in 1370.[2][3] Montaigne (1588) has the senses “to examine closely in order to understand” and s'étudier “to make oneself the object of study”;[2] Balzac uses s'étudier for putting on a studied manner (1824).[2] The Académie recorded “to learn by heart” (étudier sa leçon) in 1694.[7][5]

Timeline

  • 1155 – Estudier “to study”, in Wace.[2]
  • c. 1200 – “To apply oneself to”.[2]
  • 1261 – Les estudians de Paris.[2]
  • 1588 – “To examine closely” and s'étudier, in Montaigne.[2]
  • 1636 – The spelling étudier, in Monet.[7]
  • 1694 – “To learn by heart”, in the Académie dictionary.[7][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To study, seek to learn (a subject, an art): étudier l'histoire, le piano.[5][1]
  2. To learn by heart: étudier sa leçon, un rôle.[5][7]
  3. (intransitive) To study, be a student: il étudie à l'université.[7]
  4. To examine closely, analyze: étudier un texte; to watch (someone) closely.[5]
  5. To examine (a question, a plan) in order to decide.[5]
  6. (reflexive) S'étudier: to observe oneself; to affect a studied manner.[2]

Word family

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 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Derived terms

Cite this entry

“Étudier.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9tudier. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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