évent

Forms

évent m (plural évents)^[1] Written esvent in the 16th century and évent from the 17th.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from French éventer.^[4][1][3][5] The verb is from Vulgar Latin *exventō, from Latin ventus (“wind”).^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as esvent in 1521, in notarial archives of the Gironde, for a drain that carried the water away from a fountain.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word then named whatever lets air through: the opening above the nasal cavities of certain animals (1558), the gills of fishes (1564) and the blowhole of cetaceans (1690), usually in the plural.^[5][4][2] Like vent, it was also used of exposure to the open air and of the spoiling of a substance left too long in the air (about 1600), as in sentir l’évent “to be spoiled” (1611); these uses have died out.^[5][4] The figurative tête à l’évent “scatterbrain” (1654) is still known.^[5]

In technical language, from 1676, Félibien uses it for the vents in a casting mould through which air escapes as the metal flows in, and it later spread to various ducts, cracks and small openings (1811, 1835).^[4][5]

Timeline

• 1521 – Esvent names a drain for a fountain's water.^[4][5]
• 1558 – Thevet uses it for an opening above the nostrils of certain animals.^[4]
• 1564 – Thierry applies it to the gills of fishes.^[2][5]
• 1600 – Olivier de Serres writes of the esvent, the spoiling of wine by air.^[7][4]
• 1654 – Tête à l’évent “scatterbrain” is recorded.^[5]
• 1676 – Félibien records the casting-mould sense.^[4][5]
• 1690 – Furetière applies it to the blowhole of cetaceans.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The blowhole of a cétacé, the nostril opening on top of its head.^[8][1][2]
2. (technical) A conduit or vent in a casting mould, tank or pipe that lets gases escape.^[8][4][2]
3. (dated) Exposure to the open air: mettre du linge à l’évent.^[4][2][7]
4. (dated) The spoiled state of food or drink left too long in the air: sentir l’évent.^[4][2][8]
5. Tête à l’évent (dated, figurative): a scatterbrained, frivolous person.^[4][5][7]

Related words

• éventer
• vent
• éventail
• éventoir
• Latin ventus

Usage notes

The Grand Robert also lists an archaic évent meaning “event, outcome”, a separate word recorded from the 15th century and taken from Latin eventus (“event, outcome”).^[3] The DHLF further records event, borrowed from English in 1866 in great event for a big sporting occasion such as the Derby, and used at the end of the 19th century of society events.^[5]

References

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