Etymologically
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enlever

Etymology and origin of the French word enlever

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1130–60, Couronnement de Louis (en lever)
Ultimate origin
Latin (levō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French en
French ensuite
French envers
French endroit
French enfin
French lendemain
French enlever

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃l.ve/[1]

Forms

enlever[1] Written en lever in two words in the 12th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a compound from French en (“away, from there”) + lever (“to raise”).[4][2][3][5][1][6] “En” is the adverb of place, from Latin inde (“from there”), and lever is from levō (“to raise, lift”).[7][3]

Compare Old Occitan enlevar.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Couronnement de Louis (1130–60), tu l'en levas, it means to lift up from where one was.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

From “to move upward” came “to remove, take away” (13th century) and “to carry off with one” (about 1215).[2] In the 16th century it was used for abducting a person (1538, enlever une femme) and for taking a place by assault (1571–73).[2][4] The 17th century added death carrying someone off (1635), carrying people away with enthusiasm (Madame de Sévigné, 1671: un plaisir qui m'enlève), winning a prize quickly (1684) and removing a stain (1690).[2][4] Goods that sell fast s'enlèvent (1771); a piece of music is enlevé when played with brio (1838), and enlever un vêtement “to take off” is 20th-century.[2]

Timeline

  • 1130–60 – En lever “to lift”, Couronnement de Louis.[4]
  • c. 1215 – “To carry off with one”.[4]
  • 13th century – “To remove”.[4]
  • 1531 – Enlèvement.[2]
  • 1538 – To abduct, Robert Estienne.[4]
  • 1573 – To take by assault.[4]
  • 1671 – “To enrapture”, Madame de Sévigné.[4]
  • 1838 – Enlevé “played with brio”.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To remove, take away, take off: enlever une tache, enlever son manteau.[1][9]
  2. To kidnap, abduct: enlever un enfant.[1][10]
  3. To win, carry off; to capture: enlever la victoire, enlever une position.[1][2]
  4. To deprive of: cela m'enlève tout espoir.[2][9]
  5. (literary) To lift, raise; to carry away with enthusiasm.[9][11]
  6. To play or perform with dash: enlever un morceau.[9][11]
  7. S'enlever: to come off, wash out.[1]

Word family

  • enlèvement
  • enlevé
  • enlevage
  • enleveur

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c 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 k 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. ^ 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. 5, 274a
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Enlever.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/enlever. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·