évident

Forms

évident (feminine évidente, masculine plural évidents, feminine plural évidentes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin ēvidēns (“clear, manifest, evident”),^[2][3][4][1] formed from ex-, here an intensive prefix, and videō (“to see”).^[2][5][6] The noun évidence was borrowed from Latin ēvidentia in the same century.^[4]

The Grand Robert, the Grand Larousse and Bloch and Wartburg date it to Jean de Meun, about 1265;^[6][5][4] the TLFi's first record is in Guillaume de Digulleville, about 1330, and Rey notes that the word is older than that date.^[2][7] Littré compares Old Occitan evident, Spanish evidente and Italian evidente.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest uses, from about 1265, describe what is clear and manifest.^[5][6] Rey defines the word from the start as what imposes itself clearly on the mind, found in il est évident que and c'est évident.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The sense has stayed close to the Latin: what is plain to the mind, so that its truth is accepted by anyone who understands it.^[5][7] Charles d'Orléans plays on it in the 15th century (Obscur, fors ce qui est tout evident).^[8] The TLFi also gives a sense “plainly visible to the senses, prominent”, as in marks of fear or wrinkles that are évidentes.^[2]

In familiar French c'est pas évident has come to mean “it is not easy, it is far from certain”.^[9][2] The derived adverb évidemment (13th century) became very common from 1865 as a word of assent, “of course”.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1265 – Jean de Meun uses the word.^[6][5][4]
• c. 1330 – Guillaume de Digulleville uses it in the Pèlerinage de la vie humaine.^[2]
• 15th century – Charles d'Orléans writes ce qui est tout evident.^[8]
• 1865 – Évidemment becomes common as an adverb of assent.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Obvious, evident; that the mind grasps at once and cannot deny.^[9][5][1]
2. Il est évident que: it is clear and certain that.^[5][8]
3. Plainly perceptible to the senses, especially to sight; conspicuous.^[2]
4. (familiar) C'est pas évident: it is not easy, it is not a foregone conclusion.^[9][2]

Word family

• évidemment

Related words

• évidence
• Latin ēvidēns

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 252b
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. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert