Etymologically
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enlever

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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)