envisager

Forms

envisager^[1] A 13th-century adjective envisaigié “having a face” is an isolated earlier formation.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French en- + visage + -er, from the noun “face” with a prefix and the verbal ending.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Bloch and Wartburg derive the noun from Old French vis “face”, from Latin vīsus (“appearance, aspect”).^[6] Littré, which had no example older than the 17th century, believed the verb was formed then;^[7] the TLFi and the Grand Robert date it from 1560.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1560 Étienne Pasquier, in his Recherches de la France, uses it for looking a person in the face.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The concrete sense “to look (someone) in the face” went out of use and was taken over by dévisager;^[8] in 1611 the verb also meant “to be placed opposite something”.^[8] In the classical period it moved into the mind: from 1653 it meant to turn one's thoughts towards something to come, from 1655 to take something into consideration; in 1719 it took the sense of having an expected event in view.^[8][2] The construction with de and an infinitive, “to plan to”, appears after 1650 and is found in Madame de Sévigné in 1672.^[8][4] The derivative envisageable was proposed in 1845 but is only attested in the 20th century.^[8][2]

Timeline

• 13th century – An isolated adjective envisaigié “having a face” is recorded.^[2]
• 1560 – Pasquier uses envisager for looking a person in the face.^[2][3]
• 1611 – It is recorded meaning “to be placed opposite”.^[8]
• 1653 – It comes to mean turning one's thoughts towards something.^[8][9]
• 1665 – La Rochefoucauld uses it for considering a thing in the mind.^[2]
• 1672 – Madame de Sévigné uses envisager de with an infinitive.^[8][4]
• 1709 – Lesage uses it for having a future event in view.^[2]
• 1845 – Richard de Radonvilliers proposes envisageable.^[8][2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (archaic) To look (a person) in the face, to stare at.^[9][10][2]
2. To consider or examine in thought, especially from a given point of view: envisager le problème sous un autre angle.^[9][10]
3. To take into account, to have in view; to envisage or contemplate a possibility.^[9][11][1]
4. Envisager de with an infinitive: to plan or think of doing something: Elle envisage de vendre sa maison.^[8][7]

Word family

• envisageable

Related words

• dévisager
• vis-à-vis

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 539a
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)