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adieu

Etymology and origin of the French word adieu

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
late 12th century, Mort de Garin (adeu)
Ultimate origin
Latin (deus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French à
French adieu
French au-delà

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.djø/[1]

Forms

adieu (interjection); adieu m (noun; plural adieux)[1] Old French adeu.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French à + dieu: a shortening of the leave-taking formula “I commend you to God”, Old French a Dieu vos comant.[3][4][1][5] The noun dieu continues Latin deus (“god”).[6]

Compare Picard adé, Occitan adieu, Catalan adeu, Spanish adiós, Portuguese adeus and Italian addio.[5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Mort de Garin (late 12th century) the king takes leave with Adeu, sire cosin “goodbye, cousin”.[2]

Semantic evolution

From the start it was said on parting and, regionally, also on meeting.[7] The phrase dire adieu already treats it as a noun; the noun itself is found in 1458 (le gracieux adieu) and was fully established in the 16th century, with les adieux, faire ses adieux and visite d'adieu.[7][2][4] It also came to mark a loss or a giving up, as in La Fontaine's Adieu veau, vache, cochon, couvée.[4][8]

The modern contrast between adieu (for a long or final parting) and au revoir took shape at the start of the 19th century; before that one could say adieu, jusqu'au revoir.[7][4] In the south of France, from the Charentes to the Jura and below, it still serves for “hello” as well as “goodbye”.[7][4] English took the word in the late 14th century (adewe), first as a parting salutation said to the one staying behind.[9]

Timeline

  • Late 12th century – Adeu, Mort de Garin.[2]
  • 1458 – The noun: le gracieux adieu.[7]
  • 1588 – The noun for a leave-taking.[4]
  • Late 14th century – English borrows it as adewe.[9]
  • Early 19th century – Adieu and au revoir take distinct uses.[7]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. farewell, goodbye, said to someone one will not see for a long time or ever again.[4][8]
  2. (southern France, Switzerland) Hello; goodbye.[4][1]
  3. Said to mark that something is lost or given up: adieu veau, vache, cochon, couvée.[4][8]
  4. Dire adieu à: to take leave of; to renounce, give up for lost.[4]

Noun

  1. A leave-taking, parting: le moment des adieux, faire ses adieux, une visite d'adieu.[4][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Adieu.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/adieu. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·