délivrance

Forms

délivrance f (plural délivrances)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French délivrer + -ance.^[2][3][1] The verb is inherited from Christian Latin dēlīberō (“to set free”), from līberō (“to free”), and is unrelated to its Classical Latin homonym meaning “to weigh, ponder”, which gave délibérer.^[2][1] Littré gives Old Occitan deslivransa and notes the old synonym delivrement.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears early in the 12th century, in the Anglo-Norman lapidary of Marbode, meaning childbirth.^[2][5][3]

Semantic evolution

Already in the 12th century it meant “liberation”, literally in Chrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide (about 1170) and figuratively in the songs attributed to the Châtelain de Coucy (late 12th or early 13th century).^[2][5] Like the verb, it also came to name the handing over of something once formalities have been met (late 13th century).^[5][2] In law it is the seller's handing over of the thing sold and an executor's payment of legacies.^[4][6]

In obstetrics it names the last stage of childbirth, the expulsion of the placenta; the related noun délivre “afterbirth” was formed on the verb in its sense “to give birth”.^[7][5] The English word deliverance came from Old French delivrance about 1300.^[8]

Timeline

• Early 12th century – “Childbirth”, in the lapidary of Marbode.^[2]
• c. 1170 – “Liberation”, in Chrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide.^[2]
• Late 12th or early 13th century – Figurative “release”, in the songs of the Châtelain de Coucy.^[2]
• Late 13th century – “Handing over”, in Jacques de Baisieux.^[2]
• c. 1300 – English borrows deliverance.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. (dated or literary) The setting free of a prisoner or a country, liberation: la délivrance des otages.^[7][6]
2. (figurative) The end of a burden, pain or worry, and the relief that follows: son départ fut une délivrance.^[7][6]
3. (medicine) The expulsion of the placenta and membranes, the last stage of childbirth; by extension, childbirth.^[7][6]
4. The handing over or issue of a document or parcel, after the required formalities: la délivrance d'un passeport.^[2][6]
5. (law) The seller's obligation to put the thing sold at the buyer's disposal.^[6][4]

Related words

• délivrer
• délivre
• livrer
• English deliverance

Usage notes

The TLFi and Larousse split the word into two headwords, from délivrer “to set free” and délivrer “to hand over”, but the TLFi treats the second verb as a specialization of the first, probably by analogy with the handing over of freed prisoners.^[2][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com