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convenance

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Etymology and origin of the French word convenance

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1100s late 12th century, Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche More words from the 11th century
Ultimate origin
Latin conveniō

Pronunciation

  • /kɔ̃v.nɑ̃s/[1]

Forms

convenance f (plural convenances)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Old French convenant + -ance, the noun being the present participle of convenir used as a noun, “agreement”.[2][3][4] It was modelled on Latin convenientia (“perfect agreement, harmony”).[3][2] Littré took it straight from the Latin noun.[5]

The Old French noun covenant also passed into English as covenant.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 12th century in Raimbert de Paris's Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche, meaning a pact or agreement.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The old sense “pact, agreement” lasted until 1688; in the 13th century Villehardouin and Beaumanoir use it of agreements and bargains.[2][5] In 1504 the word took the sense “conformity between two things”, which concordance and correspondance later contested.[3][2] Mariage de convenance (1798) first belonged to this sense but has been drawn toward the modern one.[3]

The now dominant sense, “conformity with accepted usage”, is recorded by the Académie in 1740, and the plural les convenances “the rules of propriety” by Rousseau in 1762.[2][3] The idea of what suits a particular person survives in à la convenance de (about 1790) and convenance personnelle.[3][2]

Timeline

  • late 12th century – Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche, “pact”.[2]
  • 13th century – Villehardouin uses convenances of sworn agreements.[5]
  • 1504 – Jean Lemaire de Belges uses it of a conformity between two things.[2][6]
  • 1573 – The antonym inconvenance appears.[3][4]
  • 1688 – Last record of the sense “pact”, in Miège.[2]
  • 1740 – The Académie records the sense “conformity with good usage”.[2][6]
  • 1762 – Rousseau uses the plural les convenances.[2]
  • c. 1790 – Marmontel uses it of personal convenience.[2][6]
  • 1798 – The Académie records mariage de convenance.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (literary) Suitability, conformity, the fact of agreeing with or suiting something, also affinity between people: la convenance des caractères entre deux époux.[7][8][6]
  2. What suits a person: à la convenance de quelqu'un “at someone's convenience”, pour convenance personnelle “for personal reasons”.[7][8]
  3. Les convenances: the rules of propriety, social conventions: braver les convenances.[7][2]
  4. Mariage de convenance: a marriage of convenience, made for social or financial reasons.[8][6][1]

Word family

  • inconvenance

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Convenance.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/convenance. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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