Etymologically
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événement

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.ven.mɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA: /e.vɛn.mɑ̃/[1]

Forms

événement m (plural événements or (archaic) événemens)[1] Also spelled évènement, matching the pronunciation, admitted by the Académie in 1979.[2][1] The archaic plural événemens is also found.[1]

Etymology

It is a learned formation on Latin ēveniō (“to come out; to turn out; to happen”), a compound of ex- and veniō (“to come”) (see venir), on the model of avènement, which until the 16th century meant “arrival, event”.[3][2][4][5][6][7][1] It replaced Middle French event (15th century), borrowed from ēventus (“outcome, event”), the source of English event.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Georges Chastellain (before 1461) has it in the broad sense “what happens”;[3][2][4] Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1507.[3][2][4]

Semantic evolution

From the early 16th century it meant “the outcome of a situation”, like issue and succès, and especially the ending of a play: Molière's plus triste événement and Boileau's Chaque vers, chaque mot court à l'événement.[2][6][8] That classical value survives in phrases such as l'événement a confirmé son attente, à tout événement “at all events” has gone.[2][8]

In its general sense it is a fact of some importance, whence heureux événement “birth”, être dépassé par les événements and l'événement du jour.[2] In the plural it is the course of current affairs, and euphemistically les événements d'Algérie and les événements de mai 68.[2] In statistics it is a possible outcome of a random trial.[2] The derivative événementiel dates from 1931 or 1953.[2][3]

Timeline

  • 15th century – The older event.[2]
  • Before 1461 – “What happens”, Chastellain.[3]
  • Early 16th century – “Outcome”; the ending of a play.[2][6]
  • 1931 – événementiel.[2]
  • 1979 – The spelling évènement admitted by the Académie.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An event, something that happens, especially something notable: un événement historique, heureux événement, the birth of a child[8][2][1]
  2. Les événements: current affairs; euphemistically, troubles, unrest.[2]
  3. (classical) The outcome of a situation; the ending of a play.[8][6]
  4. (probability) An event, a possible outcome.[2]

Word family

  • événementiel

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 r Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 252a
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert