avant

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.vɑ̃/^[1]

Forms

avant^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin abante (“before, in front”), formed from ab (“from”) and ante (“before, in front of”).^[2][3][1][4] The Latin word, found in inscriptions and dated to the 2nd century, was both adverb and preposition and competed with classical “ante”.^[5][6][7] In its spatial sense French “avant” was challenged from the earliest texts by “davant” (10th century) and devant (11th century).^[6][2]

Cognate with Italian avanti, Old Occitan avan and Catalan abans.^[6][7][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Strasbourg Oaths (842); as an adverb it means “before, earlier” in the mid-10th century and has a spatial sense in the second half of the 10th century.^[8][2]

Semantic evolution

Avant que dates from 1258, and par avant (13th century) preceded auparavant.^[2] En avant, first temporal (10th century), became spatial (11th century) and abstract (mettre en avant, 15th century); the order avant, marche ! (1531) became en avant, marche ! in the early 19th century.^[2] As a preposition of time, avant is recorded from the late 13th century.^[3][9] Aller de l'avant was a naval phrase (1736) before its figurative use (1835).^[2]

Old and Middle French had many lost phrases, such as en avant “afterwards” and avant mais “henceforth”.^[2] The noun avant meant “advance” in 1422 and “front part” in 1678; in sport it has named a forward since about 1905.^[9] Derivatives include avantage (12th century), davantage (14th century) and dorénavant, from d'or en avant “from now on” (13th century).^[6]

Timeline

• 842 – In the Strasbourg Oaths.^[8]
• Mid-10th century – Adverb “before, earlier”.^[2]
• 12th century – Avantage.^[6]
• 1258 – Avant que.^[2]
• Late 13th century – Preposition of time.^[3][9]
• 1531 – Avant, marche ! in Robert Estienne.^[2]
• 1678 – The noun avant “front part”.^[9]
• 1736 – Aller de l'avant, at sea.^[2]
• c. 1905 – Avant “forward” in sport.^[9]

Meanings

Preposition

1. Before, earlier than: avant le jour, avant Jésus-Christ.^[9][8]
2. Before, in front of, in space or order: Bayonne est avant Biarritz.^[8]
3. Before, in rank or importance: avant tout, above all.^[8]
4. Avant de + infinitive, avant que + subjunctive: before.^[9][8]

Adverb

1. Before, beforehand: la veille au soir et le jour d'avant.^[1][3]
2. Forward, far: en avant, plus avant, further.^[2]

Noun

1. The front part (of a ship, a car): à l'avant.^[9]
2. (sport) A forward.^[9]
3. Aller de l'avant: to forge ahead.^[9][2]

Word family

• auparavant
• avantage
• davantage
• dorénavant
• avant-bras
• avant-coureur
• avant-dernier
• avant-garde
• avant-goût
• avant-guerre
• avant-hier
• avant-poste
• avant-propos
• avant-veille

Related words

• avancer
• devant
• après
• Latin ante

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 2b
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert