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avance

Etymology and origin of the French word avance

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
late 14th century
Ultimate origin
Late Latin (abante)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.vɑ̃s/[1]

Forms

avance f (plural avances)[1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from avancer.[2][3][1][4] “Avancer” goes back to Vulgar Latin *abantiare, from Late Latin abante (“in front”) (see avant).[4]

Compare Old Occitan avansa.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

At the end of the 14th century it meant the act of advancing, and also an advantage or profit; the Anglo-Norman avance “advancement, benefit” is recorded about 1275.[2][6][7][8]

Semantic evolution

The financial sense, a payment made before it is due, appears in 1478, replacing avancement in that use; the GLLF dates it from Turgot (1766).[7][9][3] The spatial sense, a forward movement, dates from 1468, and by metonymy a projection (1473).[7][6] The Académie (1694) has the distance by which one is ahead, and the time phrases d'avance (1580), à l'avance, par avance and prendre de l'avance (late 17th century) followed.[6][7]

In the plural faire des avances (1662) soon took on a romantic sense.[7] The ironical la belle avance ! “a lot of good that does!” is in Corbière (1833).[9] Belgian French keeps the old sense “advantage” in il n'y a pas d'avance à, and Swiss French has faire de l'avance.[7]

Timeline

  • late 14th century – “Advance; advantage”.[2]
  • 1468 – A forward movement.[7]
  • 1478 – An advance of money.[7][9]
  • 1580 – D'avance.[7]
  • 1662 – Faire des avances.[7]
  • 1694 – The lead over someone, Académie.[6]
  • 1833 – La belle avance !.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An advance, forward movement: l'avance des troupes.[6][1]
  2. A lead, the distance or time by which one is ahead: avoir cent mètres d'avance, arriver avec une heure d'avance.[6][3]
  3. En avance, à l'avance, d'avance, par avance: early, beforehand.[7][6]
  4. An advance, a sum paid beforehand: une avance sur salaire.[3][1]
  5. (plural) Advances, approaches: faire des avances à qqn.[7][1]
  6. (ironic) La belle avance !: a lot of good that does![9][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  9. ^ a b c d e Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
Cite this entry

“Avance.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/avance. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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