Etymologically
Log in

enviable

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the French word enviable

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1300s late 14th century, Eustache Deschamps More words from the 14th century
Ultimate origin
Latin invidia
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French envie
French envier
French enviable
From the same root
French envieux ← envie

Pronunciation

  • /ɑ̃.vjabl/[1]

Forms

enviable (plural enviables)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French envier + -able.[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary analyses it as from French envie + -able.[1] Picoche places it in the family of voir, under envie, from Latin invidia.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 14th century in the poems of Eustache Deschamps, meaning “worthy of envy”;[2][5][4] Littré quotes his envieuse non enviable.[2][5][4]

Semantic evolution

The word remained rare until the 19th century;[2][3][4] the Petit Robert puts its spread at about 1830.[7] Its meaning has stayed close to the first one: what is worthy of envy, and so desirable.[2][7] In the negative phrase peu enviable it describes a situation that is anything but good.[2][7]

Timeline

  • Late 14th century – Eustache Deschamps uses it in his poems.[2][4]
  • c. 1830 – The word comes into common use.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Worthy of envy; desirable, as in Elle occupe une place enviable dans l'entreprise.[7][8][2]
  2. Peu enviable: not at all desirable, unpleasant, as in Il se trouvait dans une position peu enviable.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du 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. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Enviable.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/enviable. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·