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efforcer

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Etymology and origin of the French word efforcer

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1050 Vie de saint Alexis More words from the 11th century
Ultimate origin
Latin fortis
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French forcer
Romanian forța
French efforcer
Derivations

Pronunciation

  • /e.fɔʁ.se/[1]

Forms

efforcer[1] Old French esforcer, esforcier, esforchier.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French é- + forcer, with the intensive prefix from ex-.[5][6][3] The Petit Robert forms it on force.[7] Wiktionary and Littré instead take it as inherited from Vulgar Latin *exfortiō, ultimately from fortis (“strong”).[1][2] The FEW treats it under *fortiare.[8]

Cognate with Old Occitan esforsar, Spanish esforzar and Italian sforzare.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis, reflexive, “to use all one's strength towards an aim”: Del Deu servise se volt mult esforcer (“he wished to strive hard in God's service”).[5][9]

Semantic evolution

Absolutely, s'efforcer “to make an effort on oneself” is recorded about 1165 in Benoît de Sainte-Maure (tant s'esforce e s'esvertue); this use is now literary.[5][9] Old French also used the verb transitively, “to force” and “to strengthen”, senses also found in Anglo-Norman.[2][4] The figurative sense “to use every means to reach an aim” is recorded about 1361 in Oresme.[3]

The deverbal noun effort (esforz, 1080) belongs to it.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Se esforcer in the Vie de saint Alexis.[5][9]
  • 1080 – The noun esforz is recorded.[9]
  • c. 1165 – Absolute use in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie.[5]
  • c. 1361 – Oresme uses it for employing every means.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. S'efforcer de: to strive to, to try hard to, to do one's utmost to reach an aim or overcome resistance.[7][5][1]
  2. (dated) S'efforcer à: the same.[7][2]
  3. (literary) Used absolutely, to make an effort on oneself.[5][9]

Word family

Usage notes

The verb is only reflexive in modern French.[5][7] S'efforcer de with an infinitive is the usual construction;[7] s'efforcer à is dated.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
  6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 730b
  9. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Efforcer.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/efforcer. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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