ascenseur

Forms

ascenseur m (plural ascenseurs)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned formation, from Latin ascēnsum, the supine of ascendō (“to climb, to go up”), with the suffix -eur.^[2][3][4][5] The Petit Robert takes it from the stem of ascension.^[6] Wiktionary instead calls it a learned borrowing of ascēnsor (“rider”).^[1]

Around 1510 the word meant “rider, horseman”, but this use seems limited to one author.^[5][3] The word was formed again on its own by the inventor Édoux in 1867 for his lifting machine.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In its modern sense it dates from 1867, the year of the Paris Exposition universelle, as the name Édoux gave to his lifting apparatus.^[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

The word was a great success: it absorbed its counterpart descenseur, outlasted the brief competition of the anglicism lift and is more frequent than monte-charge.^[5] An adjective use “that goes up or lifts” is found in 1876, in a chemin de fer ascenseur.^[7][8] Specialized uses followed, such as a lift for boats (1890) and the ascenseur à poissons that lets salmon climb past a dam.^[5][6]

The familiar phrase renvoyer l'ascenseur, “to return a favour”, is recorded in 1913 and again from 1958.^[5][9] In computing it names the scroll bar of a window.^[6][1]

Timeline

• c. 1510 – Ascenseur “horseman” in a single author.^[5][3]
• 1867 – Édoux names his lifting machine ascenseur.^[5][2][4]
• 1876 – Adjective use in chemin de fer ascenseur.^[7]
• 1890 – A lift for boats.^[5]
• 1913 – Renvoyer l'ascenseur is first recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A lift, an elevator: a cabin that carries people up and down between the floors of a building: prendre l'ascenseur, une cage d'ascenseur.^[6][4]
2. (familiar) Renvoyer l'ascenseur: to return a favour.^[6][5]
3. (figurative) Ascenseur social: a means of upward social mobility.^[6]
4. Ascenseur à poissons: a device that lets fish climb past a dam.^[6][5]
5. (computing) A scroll bar.^[6][1]

Related words

• ascension
• ascendant
• descenseur
• Latin ascendō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
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. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF