captiver

Forms

captiver^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin captīvō (“to take captive”), a verb of the 3rd–4th centuries,^[2][3] from captīvus (“captive”).^[4][5][6] In Late Latin the verb meant “to take prisoner” and, figuratively, “to take hold of the mind”.^[3] The learned verb replaced the inherited Old French chaitiver (“to subjugate, enslave”) (13th century), its popular doublet.^[2][3]

Cognate with Old Occitan captivar, Spanish cautivar, Portuguese cativar and Italian cattivare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the early 15th century as the reflexive se captiver “to submit”, in Gerson: Infidelité naist de l'orgueil de l'entendement qui ne se veut soumettre ou captiver pour obeir à la Sainte Ecriture (“unbelief is born of the pride of the understanding, which will not submit or subject itself to obey Holy Scripture”).^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

In Middle French the verb meant “to take prisoner” (1488) and “to hold captive” (to La Fontaine in 1665),^[2][3] but this literal sense gave way to capturer, and Littré already called it obsolete.^[3][7] The reflexive se captiver “to submit” died out in the 17th century.^[3] Classical French also used it for subjecting someone morally, as in Racine and Bossuet.^[8]

The figurative sense “to charm, to win over” appears in Du Bellay before 1559, L'or des cheveux me captive (“the gold of her hair captivates me”),^[2][7] and it became the main meaning, separating the verb from captif and captivité.^[3] Today the object is nearly always a person, and captiver l'attention is felt as a stylistic choice.^[3] The participle captivant “fascinating” was proposed in 1842.^[3]

Timeline

• 13th century – Old French has the inherited chaitiver “to enslave”.^[2]
• Early 15th century – Gerson uses se captiver “to submit”.^[2][7]
• 1488 – First recorded for “to take prisoner”.^[2][3]
• Before 1559 – Du Bellay uses it for “to charm”.^[2][7]
• 1665 – La Fontaine uses it for “to hold prisoner”.^[2]
• 1842 – Captivant “fascinating” is proposed.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hold the attention of, to captivate or enthrall: le conteur captive les enfants.^[5][9][1]
2. (obsolete) To take or keep prisoner.^[5][7]
3. (obsolete, figurative) To subdue, to bring under control.^[5][8]
4. (reflexive, obsolete) Se captiver: to submit, to restrain oneself.^[2][7]

Word family

• captivant

Related words

• captif
• captivité
• capter
• capturer
• chétif
• Latin captīvus

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 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2/1, 331b
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)