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attirer

Etymology and origin of the French word attirer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1275 (atyrer)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.ti.ʁe/[1]

Forms

attirer[1] Earlier atyrer (about 1275) and atirer (about 1490).[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from tirer (“to pull, draw”) with the prefix a-.[3][2][4][5] The Grand Robert adds that it was modelled on the Old French verb atirier,[2] but Rey keeps that verb apart: atirier meant “to put in order, adorn, arrange”, came from the old noun tire (“rank, row”) (see attirail), and survives in English attire.[3][6] The new verb took the place of Old French attraire (whence attrait and attraction), just as the simple verb ousted traire in most of its senses.[3][2][4] The same verb was formed in Old Occitan, atirar, recorded from the 14th century in the sense “to win someone over”.[3]

Compare Italian attirare.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first sense was “to bring (someone) along”, now obsolete.[3]

Semantic evolution

The modern senses were fixed in the 16th century: “to draw to oneself” (about 1510), “to entice, charm” (1538), and, first in biblical language (1553), “to bring about (misfortune, love)” and “to draw (attention)”.[3] Other early uses, “to induce someone to do something” (1549) and attirer l'air “to breathe in” (1553), and the phrase attirer quelqu'un à sa cordelle “to win someone to one's side”, have gone out of use.[3] The reflexive s'attirer “to bring upon oneself” is recorded from the 17th century.[3]

Of its derivatives only attirant (an adjective from 1548, with an erotic nuance from 1690) and attirance are still current.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1275 – Atyrer.[2]
  • c. 1490 – Atirer “to bring (someone)”.[3]
  • c. 1510 – “To draw to oneself”.[3]
  • 1534 – Rabelais uses the spelling attirer.[2][4]
  • 1538 – “To entice, charm”.[3]
  • 1553 – “To bring about” and “to draw (attention)”, in biblical language.[3]
  • 17th century – Reflexive s'attirer.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To attract, draw towards oneself by a physical force: l'aimant attire le fer.[4][5]
  2. To make (a living being) come to a place: la lumière attire les papillons; to lure (an animal).[4][5]
  3. To draw (people) by arousing their interest or liking; to entice, charm.[5][1]
  4. To draw (attention, looks): attirer l'attention de quelqu'un sur quelque chose.[5][4]
  5. To bring about, cause (something) for someone: attirer des ennuis à quelqu'un.[4][3]
  6. S'attirer: to bring upon oneself, incur, (reciprocal) to attract each other.[4][3]

Word family

  • attirant
  • attirance

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Attirer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/attirer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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