délivrer

Forms

délivrer^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin dēlīberō (“to set free”), a Christian Latin extension with dē- of Classical līberō (“to free”), itself from līber (“free”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} This verb is unrelated to the Classical Latin verb meaning “to weigh, to ponder”, which French borrowed as délibérer.^[1] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert see the influence of the verb livrer in its form.^[7][8]

The sense “to hand over” is, for the TLFi, a specialization of the sense “to set free”, probably by analogy with the handing over of freed prisoners;^[2] Rey mentions the same idea but thinks the influence of that verb may have been decisive,^[3] and Bloch and Wartburg say this sense developed alongside it.^[4] Littré notes that both senses go back to the same root, since that verb too goes back to the Latin adjective for “free”.^[9]

Cognate with Old Occitan deslivrar, Catalan deslliurar and Italian delivrare.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is attested indirectly about 1050 by the adjective delivre “freed (from)”, formed from it, in the Vie de saint Alexis; the Psautier d'Oxford (first half of the 12th century) uses it to mean “to free”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It meant “to set free” from its first records.^[3] By analogy it was used for childbirth, first in the passive, estre delivrée “to have given birth” (early 12th century), then actively (1176–1184), and later, in surgery, for removing the afterbirth (1752), after its derivative délivre.^[3][2] The sense “to hand over after certain formalities” appears as early as about 1130.^[3][2]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – The derived adjective delivre “freed” appears in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[2][3]
• early 12th century – The laws of William the Conqueror use estre delivrée “to have given birth”.^[2][3]
• c. 1130 – The Pèlerinage de Charlemagne uses it for “to hand over”.^[2][3]
• 1100–1150 – The Psautier d'Oxford uses it for “to set free”.^[2]
• 1176–1184 – Gautier d'Arras uses it for delivering a woman of a child.^[2][3]
• 1606 – The derivative délivre “afterbirth” is recorded, at first as a feminine.^[3]
• 1752 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux records its use for removing the afterbirth.^[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To set free, release: délivrer un otage.^[8][2][9]
2. To rid or relieve someone of something: délivré de ses craintes.^[8][5][9]
3. (medicine, dated) To deliver a woman of a child; also of the afterbirth.^[5][2][1]
4. To hand over or issue after the required formalities: la mairie délivre les passeports.^[2][9][1]

Word family

• délivrance
• délivre
• délivreur

Related words

• livrer
• libérer
• délibérer
• Latin līberō

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 m n 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 l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 32b
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette