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adorer

Etymology and origin of the French word adorer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont
Borrowed from
Latin adoro
Ultimate origin
Latin (ōrō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.dɔ.ʁe/[1]

Forms

adorer[1] The popular Old French form was aorer, aürer (1080), still found in le vendredi aoré “Good Friday” in the 16th and 17th centuries.[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin adōrō (“to address, entreat; to worship”), from ad- and ōrō (“to speak, pray”) (whence oraison).[2][3][4][5] The learned form replaced the inherited “aorer” under the influence of Church Latin.[2][3] Littré cites the view that “adōrāre” first meant to raise the hand to the mouth in homage, but prefers the simpler “to speak to, address, pray to”.[6]

Compare Spanish adorar and Italian adorare.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) it means to worship God: si l'adorent com redemptor “they worship him as redeemer”; in the Chanson de Roland it is used of the pagans' idols.[7][2][6]

Semantic evolution

It was applied to the Cross (late 13th century) and to relics.[2] The extended sense “to honour to the utmost” appears in Old French for aorer (about 1165) and in Froissart for adorer.[2] In lyric poetry the Châtelain de Coucy already used aorer for loving passionately (late 12th century), a sense adorer took on in the 16th century (1576).[2][6] Since the 17th century it has also been used of abstractions and things, as a hyperbole for aimer (j'adore le chocolat); the advertising formula vous avez aimé… vous allez adorer is a calque of English.[2][8]

Timeline

  • Late 10th century – “To worship”, Passion de Clermont.[7]
  • c. 1100 – Of idols, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • Late 12th century – Aorer “to love passionately”, the Châtelain de Coucy.[2]
  • c. 1420 – Adorateur.[3]
  • 1576 – Adorer “to love passionately”.[2]
  • 1611 – Adorable.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To worship: adorer Dieu, adorer le veau d'or.[8][1]
  2. To adore, love passionately: il adore sa fille.[8][1]
  3. (familiar) To love, be very fond of: j'adore le chocolat, elle adore danser.[8][2]
  4. Brûler ce qu'on a adoré: to turn against what one used to admire.[8][9]

Word family

  • adorable
  • adorablement
  • adorateur
  • adoration
  • oraison
  • oral
  • Latin adōrō

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b 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
  8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Adorer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/adorer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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