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avocat

Etymology and origin of the French word avocat

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inherited borrowed derived
Latin advocatus
French avocat

avocat1 lawyer

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1160, Benoît de Sainte-Maure
Borrowed from
Latin advocatus
Ultimate origin
Latin (vōx)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.vɔ.ka/[1]

Forms

avocat m (plural avocats, feminine avocate)[1] The learned spelling advocat was usual from the 14th to the 18th century.[2][3]

Etymology

The lawyer is borrowed from Latin advocātus (“one called to assist; legal adviser”), from advocō (“to call to one's aid”) (see avouer), from ad- and vocō (“to call”), from vōx (“voice”).[2][4][5][3][6][7] In Latin the word had specialized in law, like “in ius vocare” “to summon to court”, for one who assists a person summoned.[2] The same Latin word gave by inheritance avoué, its doublet.[2][1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure (1160) calls a king avocaz de sainte Eglise, a defender of the Church; from the start the word also names a person entitled to assist and represent someone in court.[5][6][2]

Semantic evolution

Beaumanoir (13th century) defines avocat as those who speak for others.[6] Mockery appears in the 15th century with the farce of Maistre Pierre Pathelin, an advocat dessoubz l'orme, a lawyer without cases.[2] Until the 19th century the central idea was “representative”, “defender” in criminal law grew in the 19th century.[2] Avocat général dates from 1359, and Furetière (1690) distinguishes the advocat plaidant, écoutant and consultant.[2]

The feminine advocate (1326), from Christian Latin advocata, named the Virgin as intercessor, avocate was the wife of a lawyer in 1622 and a woman lawyer in Robida (1883), before women could practise.[2][4] Figuratively an avocat is anyone who pleads a cause, as in avocat du diable.[8][5]

Timeline

  • 1160 – Avocaz, Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[5][6]
  • 1326 – Advocate, the Virgin as intercessor.[2]
  • 1359 – Avocat général.[2]
  • 15th century – Advocat dessoubz l'orme, in Pathelin.[2]
  • 1883 – Avocate, a woman lawyer, Robida.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A lawyer, barrister: consulter un avocat, avocat d'office, avocat général, a member of the public prosecutor's office.[8][5][1]
  2. (figurative) An advocate, someone who defends a person or cause: se faire l'avocat d'une idée, avocat du diable, devil's advocate.[8][5]

Word family

  • avocasser
  • avocasserie

avocat2 avocado

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1716 (avocate, 1684)
Borrowed from
Spanish avocado
Ultimate origin
Nahuatl (āhuacatl)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.vɔ.ka/[1]

Forms

avocat m (plural avocats)[1] Aguacate (1640), avocate (1684), avocat (1716).[4][3]

Etymology

The fruit is borrowed from Spanish avocado, earlier “aguacate”, from Nahuatl āhuacatl; the Spanish word was reshaped by folk etymology after “abogado” “lawyer”, and the French form in turn fell together with “avocat”.[3][4][1][9] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert call the Spanish word a borrowing from Carib.[4][8] English “avogato” (1697) shows the same reshaping.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The form aguacate is recorded in 1640, avocate in 1684 and avocat in 1716, for the fruit of the avocado tree.[4][3][8]

Semantic evolution

The tree, avocatier, is named in 1771.[3]

Timeline

  • 1640 – Aguacate.[4]
  • 1684 – Avocate.[4][3]
  • 1716 – Avocat.[4]
  • 1771 – Avocatier, the tree.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An avocado: avocats à la vinaigrette, huile d'avocat.[8][1]

Word family

  • avocatier
  • avoué
  • avouer

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 e f g h i Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 203a
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 20, 57a

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Avocat.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/avocat. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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