Etymologically
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effort

Etymology and origin of the French word effort

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (esforz)
Ultimate origin
French (efforcer)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.fɔʁ/[1]

Forms

effort m (plural efforts)[1] Old French esforz (1080); effort from the 14th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from French efforcer, Old French “esforcier”.[4][3][2][5][1] The FEW classes it under popular Latin “*fortiare”, the source of forcer.[6]

Compare Old Occitan esfort, Catalan esforç, Spanish esfuerzo, Portuguese esforço and Italian sforzo.[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) esforz meant troops, an armed force (Paien ont grant esforz), and impetuosity, as in a esforz “with all one's might”.[2][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The sense “exertion of one's strength towards an end” is in the Châtelain de Coucy (end of the 12th century).[2][4] By extension it named a force exerted by a thing (1547) and the result of an effort (1559).[4] In 1678 Guillet used it for a strain or injury caused by excessive muscular effort, a sense now dated.[4][8] Maine de Biran made the feeling of effort the basis of self-awareness.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Esforz, troops, impetuosity, Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • late 12th century – Exertion, the Châtelain de Coucy.[2]
  • 14th century – The spelling effort.[2]
  • 1547 – A force exerted by a thing.[4]
  • 1678 – A strain, Guillet.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An effort, exertion of physical, mental or moral strength: faire un effort, effort physique, sans effort.[5][8]
  2. An attempt: tous ses efforts ont échoué, faire un effort de mémoire.[2][5]
  3. (mechanics) A force exerted on a body, a stress.[4][7]
  4. (dated) A strain, an injury caused by overexertion.[4][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
  5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 730b
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Effort.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/effort. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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