avorter

Forms

avorter^[1] The past participle used as a noun is spelled avortad or avorted in the early 12th century.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin abortō (“to miscarry”),^{[3][2][4][5][1]} derived from aborior of the same meaning, from ab- in a negative sense and orior (“to be born, arise”), that is, “to die in being born”.^[2][4] Littré glosses the formation as “to be born badly”.^[6] The root verb is also the source of orient and origine.^[2]

Cognate with Spanish abortar and Tuscan aortare.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb first appears in the early 12th century as its past participle used as a noun, avortad, avorted, a stillborn child, matching Latin abortus; the active verb is found a little later, in 1174–1178.^[2][5] The Anglo-Norman Dictionary records it from the early 12th century for having a miscarriage.^[8]

Semantic evolution

By the end of the 12th century avorter was used figuratively for “to fail”, then for “to weaken” (13th century), and in the 16th century, in Amyot, of fruit that does not ripen.^[2][6] Transitive uses followed the same lines: avorter un enfant in the Roman de Renart, “to make fail” in the 13th century, and of fruit in Ronsard.^[2] In the late 18th century Sade used avorter une femme “to perform an abortion on a woman”, the source of se faire avorter and of avorteur.^[2] For a natural loss of pregnancy French has preferred faire une fausse couche since the 17th century.^[2][9]

Timeline

• early 12th century – The noun avortad “stillborn child” is recorded.^[2][5]
• 1174–1178 – The active verb appears.^[2]
• late 12th century – First figurative use, “to fail”.^[2]
• 13th century – The Roman de Renart uses it transitively.^[2][6]
• 16th century – Amyot uses it of fruit.^[2][6]
• late 18th century – Sade writes avorter une femme.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive) To abort, to expel a fetus before term, by accident or by intervention; of animals, to cast young prematurely.^[9][10][11]
2. (intransitive) Of fruit or flowers, to fail to develop fully.^[9][11]
3. (intransitive, figurative) To fail, to be stopped short: la négociation a avorté au bout d'une semaine.^[9][11]
4. (transitive) To perform an abortion on a woman;^[9][2] se faire avorter: to have an abortion.^[9][2]

Word family

• avortement
• avorton
• avorteur
• avortoir

Related words

• abortif
• orient
• origine
• Latin abortō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 45a
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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse