Etymology and origin of the French word annonce
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1399 More words from the 14th century
- Ultimate origin
- Latin nūntius
Etymology tree
From the same root
Pronunciation
- /a.nɔ̃s/[1]
Forms
annonce f (plural annonces)[1] Middle French anunce (1440).[2][3]
Etymology
It is a deverbal noun from French annoncer.[2][4][1][5][6] The verb comes from Latin annūntiō (“to announce”), formed from ad- and nūntiō (“to announce”), from nūntius (“messenger, message”);[3][5] Rey calls the noun of obscure origin.[3] Bloch and Wartburg note that the form of the verb does not show whether it is a fully popular word or one influenced by written Latin.[5]
Earliest recorded meaning
The DMF quotes a document of 1399 in which annonce is the inscription running round a seal.[7] The Grand Robert and the DHLF date the word to 1440, as anunce, for a notice on a product.[2][3]
Semantic evolution
In the 16th century annonces were marriage banns among Protestants (d'Aubigné writes of priests forced de proclamer ses annonces).[3][8] The general sense “notice to the public” dates from 1678, with feuille d'annonces (1835), now out of use; in the theatre the word named the announcement made to the audience (1680).[3] With the growth of the press it came to mean a short advertisement (19th century) and, in petites annonces, the offers of goods, services and jobs; it later passed into film and television in film-annonce (1965) and bande-annonce (1970).[3] In bridge it is a bid (1928).[3]
Timeline
- 1399 – Annonce names the inscription on a seal.[7]
- 1440 – Anunce is used for a notice on a product.[2][3]
- 16th century – Used of marriage banns among Protestants.[3][8]
- 1678 – The general sense “notice to the public” is recorded.[3]
- 1680 – Used in the theatre.[3]
- 1835 – Feuille d'annonces is recorded.[3]
- 1928 – Used in bridge.[3]
- 1965 – Film-annonce appears.[3]
Meanings
Noun
- An announcement, a notice making something known to the public, orally or in writing: À l'annonce de la nouvelle, tout le monde s'est tu.[9][4]
- Effet d'annonce: the effect created by announcing something before it has happened.[4]
- A text announcing something, an advertisement: annonce publicitaire, les petites annonces, classified ads.[9][1]
- (cards) A bid or declaration by a player.[9][3]
- A sign that foretells an event.[10]
Word family
- annoncier
- bande-annonce
- film-annonce
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 620b
- ^ a b Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
- ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
- ^ 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
Cite this entry
“Annonce.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/annonce. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.
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