Etymologically
Log in

aider

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 05:46. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

Forms

aider[1] Old French aidier (il aiud, late 10th century, aidiez, about 1100) and aïer.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French aidier, inherited from Latin adiūtō (“to help, assist”), the frequentative of adiuvō (“to help”).[2][3][4][5][1] The Old French forms “aïer”, “aiue” were remade from adiūtat, the third person singular.[2]

Cognate with Romanian ajuta, Italian aiutare, Occitan ajudar, Catalan ajudar, Spanish ayudar and Portuguese ajudar.[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The form aiud is found at the end of the 10th century; about 1100 the Chanson de Roland has Prudhom i ot pour son seigneur aider “there was a worthy man to help his lord”.[3][2][7]

Semantic evolution

Old French also built it with an indirect object, aider à quelqu'un (1080), now regional, aider quelqu'un à quelque chose (1125) and aider à “to contribute to” (13th century) remain.[2] The reflexive s'aider de, “to make use of”, dates from the 12th century.[2] The oath se Dieu m'aït, “so help me God”, was common in Old French, and the proverb aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera goes back to 1606.[2]

The noun aide is even older (aiudha, 842).[2][4] In 1923 English mayday was chosen as a radio distress call because it sounds like French m'aider “help me”.[8][1]

Timeline

  • Late 10th century – Aiud.[3][2]
  • c. 1100 – Aider and Deus nous aït in the Chanson de Roland.[7][2]
  • 1125 – Aider quelqu'un à quelque chose.[2]
  • 12th century – S'aider de.[2]
  • 1606 – Aide-toi, Dieu t'aidera.[2]
  • 1690 – Aider à la messe.[2]
  • 1923 – English mayday is coined from m'aider.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To help, assist: aider quelqu'un à se relever.[6][9]
  2. To support with money or means: aider les plus démunis.[10]
  3. Of a thing, to help, be useful: l'alcool aidant.[6]
  4. Aider à: to contribute to, make easier.[6][11]
  5. S'aider de: to make use of.[1][2]
  • aide
  • entraider
  • adjuvant
  • English mayday

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 161a
  6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)