avertir

Forms

avertir^[1] Middle French also advertir, respelled after Latin.^[1][2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *advertiō, a change of conjugation of Latin advertō (“to turn towards, direct one's attention to”).^{[4][5][6][7][8]} Rey calls it a borrowing rather than an inherited word.^[5] The Latin verb is formed from ad- (“towards”) and vertō (“to turn”).^[5][6] Littré notes the same change of conjugation in convertir and divertir.^[2]

Cognate with Italian avvertire, Occitan avertir, Spanish advertir and Portuguese advertir, the Spanish form remade after Latin.^[4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the reflexive soi avertir “to become aware, come to oneself”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure (1160);^[5][7][6] the Anglo-Norman Dictionary dates its earliest record to 1155.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Used actively, it meant “to pay attention to” from about 1180 and “to direct someone's attention to” from 1250; several old constructions, such as avertir à qqn de qqch., have disappeared.^[5][6] The modern sense “to inform” developed from this at the end of the 15th century, in Commynes.^[5][2]

The past participle averti gave the proverb un homme averti en vaut deux (1643, une personne avertie en vaut deux about 1624) and the phrase se tenir pour averti (1685).^[5] In horsemanship avertir un cheval is to rouse a horse with the aids when it grows slack.^[2][9]

Timeline

• 1160 – Soi avertir “to become aware” in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[5][7]
• c. 1180 – Used for “to pay attention to”.^[5]
• 1250 – Used for “to direct someone's attention to”.^[5][6]
• Late 15th century – Commynes uses it for “to inform”.^[5][2]
• c. 1624 – Une personne avertie en vaut deux is recorded.^[5]
• 1685 – Se tenir pour averti is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To inform someone of something so that they take heed: avertir son voisin d'un départ, il nous a avertis que la route était fermée.^[10][9][11]
2. To warn someone of a danger or something unpleasant.^[9][1]
3. To admonish someone, by way of a threat or reprimand.^[10][9]
4. (horsemanship) To rouse a horse with the aids when it slackens.^[9][2]

Word family

• avertissement
• avertisseur
• averti

Related words

• Latin advertō

Usage notes

The proverb un homme averti en vaut deux “forewarned is forearmed” is still current, also in the form un bon averti en vaut deux.^[5][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 199a
9. ^ a b c d e 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
10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)