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dévastation

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Etymology and origin of the French word dévastation

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1300s Raoul de Presles, translation of the City of God More words from the 13th century
Borrowed from
Latin devastatio
Ultimate origin
Latin dēvāstō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin vāstus
French vaste
Latin vāstō
French gâter
Italian guastare
Spanish gastar
Latin dēvastō
French dévaster
Latin dēvastātiō
English devastation
French dévastation
From the same root
Latin vāstitās ← vāstus
Latin vāstum ← vāstus
French gâteux ← vāstō
Latin vastatio ← vāstō

Pronunciation

  • /de.vas.ta.sjɔ̃/[1]

Forms

dévastation f (plural dévastations)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin dēvāstātiō (“ravaging, devastation”), from the supine of dēvāstō (“to lay waste”).[2][3][4][1] By surface analysis it is from French dévaster + -ation.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 14th century in Raoul de Presles's translation of Augustine's City of God (known from the 1531 edition), then in 1502 in Jean d'Auton, meaning the laying waste of a land.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Like the other words of the group, it was slow to take hold, and it remained rare until Furetière recorded it in 1690.[5][2] It names both the act of devastating and its result, the ruin left by war, storms or floods.[2][6] The related noun dévastateur, borrowed from Late Latin devastator, is recorded in 1581 but was likewise rare until 1755.[5]

Timeline

  • 14th century – Raoul de Presles uses it in his translation of the City of God.[2]
  • 1502 – Jean d'Auton uses it.[2][4]
  • 1690 – Furetière records it; from then on it is in common use.[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The act of devastating, ravage, destruction: la dévastation des campagnes par l'ennemi.[6][2]
  2. The result of this, the state of a ruined place: la ville offrait un spectacle de dévastation.[6][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Dévastation.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9vastation. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·