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
- Before, earlier than: avant le jour, avant Jésus-Christ.[9][8]
- Before, in front of, in space or order: Bayonne est avant Biarritz.[8]
- Before, in rank or importance: avant tout, above all.[8]
- Avant de + infinitive, avant que + subjunctive: before.[9][8]
Adverb
- Before, beforehand: la veille au soir et le jour d'avant.[1][3]
- Forward, far: en avant, plus avant, further.[2]
Noun
- The front part (of a ship, a car): à l'avant.[9]
- (sport) A forward.[9]
- 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
References
- ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 2b
- ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
- ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ 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