envier

Forms

envier^[1]

Etymology

It is a denominal verb from French envie + -er.^[2][1][3] Bloch and Wartburg say it was formed after the sense of desire of the noun.^[4] The noun is a Gallicized form of Latin invidia (“envy, jealousy, hatred”),^[4] from invideō (“to envy”), itself from in- and videō (“to see”).^[5][6] Littré instead derived the verb from a Low Latin verb formed on the Latin noun.^[5]

Cognate with Old Occitan enveiar, Catalan envejar, Spanish envidiar, Portuguese invejar and Italian invidiare.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in Grant mal fist Adam (about 1120–1150), meaning to feel jealousy toward someone.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

As the old idea of hatred faded, desire became the dominant idea: from about 1200 envier (something) meant to wish for it for oneself.^[7][8][9] In the middle of the 16th century envier (something) à (someone) meant to refuse or begrudge someone something, mostly in negative or interrogative sentences, as in Amyot's lives that “the injury of time has denied us”; from 1667 the same construction meant to envy someone for what they have.^[7][8][5] The phrase n'avoir rien à envier à means to lack nothing, or, of a thing, to be at least as good as another.^[7]

English borrowed the verb envy from Old French envier in the late 14th century.^[6]

Timeline

• 1120–1150 – First recorded in Grant mal fist Adam, of jealousy toward someone.^[2][7]
• c. 1155 – Used by Wace.^[8]
• c. 1200 – Envier something means to wish for it, in the Lai d'Ignauré.^[8][7]
• late 14th century – English takes over the verb as envy.^[6]
• 16th century – Envier (something) à (someone) “to refuse, begrudge” appears, in Amyot.^[7][8][5]
• 1667 – The same construction means to envy someone for something.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To envy someone, wishing to have what they have or to be in their place: Tous ses collègues l'envient.^[9][5][1]
2. Envier (something) à (someone): to covet something another person has or enjoys.^[9][5]
3. To wish for something for oneself, without ill will: J'envie votre calme.^[9][5]
4. N'avoir rien à envier à: to lack nothing compared with, to be as good as.^[7][8]
5. (classical) To refuse, to begrudge.^[8][5]

Word family

• enviable

Related words

• envie
• envieux
• Latin invidia

Usage notes

Littré gives a second verb envier, a gaming term meaning to raise the stake, from envi “challenge, stake”, with Old Occitan envidar.^[5] Meyer-Lübke derives this Old French envier and envi from Latin invitare “to invite”, which in the Romance languages came to mean “to challenge, to bid” in games.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter