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développer

Etymology and origin of the French word développer

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Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1170, Guillaume d'Angleterre
Ultimate origin
Latin (volvō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French développer
English develop
English development

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.vlɔ.pe/[1]

Forms

développer[1] Old French desvoleper (about 1170), desveloper (13th century); desvelopper in the Académie (1694–1718), développer from 1740.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from the prefix dé- and Old French voloper (“to wrap”),[2][3][4][5] as the opposite of envelopper;[2][3] “voloper” is probably from Medieval Latin faluppa (“chaff”), influenced by Latin volvō (“to roll”).[3][4] Wiktionary instead takes it from a Germanic “*wrappan-”, akin to English wrap.[1] Compare Italian sviluppare and Old Occitan desvolopar.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Guillaume d'Angleterre (about 1170) has desvoleper, to take something or someone out of what wraps it;[2][3] at the end of the 12th century desvoleper is to unfurl what was rolled up, as banners au vent desvolospé.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Montaigne (1580) uses it figuratively for unravelling a difficult author or affair (Amyot a developpé si heureusement Plutarque), and se desvelopper for freeing oneself from a difficulty.[2][6] Geometry has développante and développée (Huygens, 1675), algebra développer en série (d'Alembert, 1754), and cyclists say a bicycle développe so many metres (1892).[2][8][3]

In the time sense, Pascal has se développer “to grow, expand” (before 1662), and Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (1787) the transitive “to bring to full growth”; to set out in detail is recorded once in the 14th century and again from 1671.[2][3] In photography one développe a film (1865–1884).[2][3] Développement (late 14th century) took, under English influence, the sense of the development of a product or region (about 1960), and gave sous-développé (1951) and pays en voie de développement.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1170 – Desvoleper in Guillaume d'Angleterre.[2]
  • Late 14th century – Desvelopemens.[3]
  • 1580 – Figurative use in Montaigne.[2]
  • Before 1662 – Se développer in Pascal.[2]
  • 1675 – Développante, développée in Huygens.[2]
  • 1754 – Développer en série in d'Alembert.[8]
  • 1787 – “To bring to full growth”.[2]
  • 1865 – Photographic developing.[3]
  • 1892 – Of a bicycle.[2]
  • 1951 – Sous-développé.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To develop, expand, build up: développer une entreprise, développer ses muscles.[1][9]
  2. To develop, set out in detail: développer une idée.[1][2]
  3. (photography) To develop (a film).[3][1]
  4. (mathematics) To expand (an expression); (geometry) to develop (a surface).[10][9]
  5. Of a bicycle, to cover (so many metres per turn of the pedals).[9][10]
  6. (computing) To develop, code (software).[1]
  7. (reflexive) To develop, grow: l'enfant se développe.[2][3]
  8. (rare) To unwrap, unfold.[2][10]

Word family

  • développement
  • développeur
  • sous-développé

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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 m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 399a
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Développer.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9velopper. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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