découvrir

Pronunciation

• IPA: /de.ku.vʁiʁ/^[1]

Forms

découvrir^[1] Old French descovrir, descouvrir; the Académie entered it as descouvrir in 1694 and 1718.^[2][1][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French descovrir, inherited from Late Latin discooperiō (“to uncover”) (in the Vulgate), formed from dis- (“apart”) and Latin cooperiō (“to cover completely”), the source of couvrir.^{[3][2][4][5][6]}

The same Latin verb gave Italian scoprire, with a different prefix, Spanish descubrir and Old Occitan descobrir.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first sense, in the Oxford Psalter (early 12th century), is figurative, “to reveal”: Descuevre al seigneur la tue veie (“reveal your way to the Lord”).^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

From the 12th century it also had the physical sense “to strip of what covers or protects”: Wace (1160–1174) has De l'escu l'a descovert, and à descovert “uncovered, in the open” is found about 1150.^[3][2] Se découvrir meant “to undress” about 1230 and “to take off one's hat” in 1564; of the sky it meant “to clear” in 1690.^[3][2]

The sense “to see from a distance” appears in 1564 and “to be the first to make known” in Montaigne (1580), but explorers' accounts speak of descouvrir new lands as early as 1532.^[3][7] “To find out (something hidden)” follows in 1614.^[2] The derived découverte “discovery” is from 1587, and découvert “overdraft” from 1817 (Stendhal).^[2][3]

Timeline

• early 12th century – “To reveal”, in the Oxford Psalter.^[3]
• c. 1150 – A descovert in the Roman de Thèbes.^[3]
• 1160–1174 – “To strip of a covering”, in Wace.^[3]
• 1532 – Discovering new lands.^[7]
• 1564 – “To catch sight of”, se découvrir “to take off one's hat”.^[3]
• 1580 – “To be the first to make known”, in Montaigne.^[3]
• 1587 – The noun découverte “discovery”.^[2]
• 1817 – Découvert “overdraft”.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To uncover, take the cover off: découvrir un plat.^[8][9]
2. To reveal, show: une robe qui découvre le dos.^[8][10]
3. To leave unprotected, expose.^[10][1]
4. To disclose: découvrir ses intentions.^[3][9]
5. To discover, find (something unknown): découvrir un trésor, découvrir l'Amérique.^[3][7]
6. To find out, realize.^[2][1]
7. To catch sight of, see from a distance.^[3][2]
8. Se découvrir: to take off one's hat, (of the sky) to clear.^[2]
9. Découvrir le pot aux roses: to find out the secret.^[9]

Word family

• découverte
• découvreur
• redécouvrir

Related words

• découvert
• couvrir

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1142b
7. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)