Etymologically
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espoir

Etymology and origin of the French word espoir

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
c. 1130, Roman d'Eneas (espeir)
Ultimate origin
Latin (spērō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛs.pwaʁ/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): [es.pwar][1]

Forms

espoir m (plural espoirs)[1] Old French espeir (about 1130), espoir (mid-12th century).[2][3]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from espérer, formed on the stressed forms of its Old French present tense (j'espeir“, ”j'espoir“, ”tu espoires…), from Latin spērō, “spērās”.[4][5][2][6] In Old French “espoir”, the first person singular, was also used as an adverb meaning “perhaps” until the 15th century.[5][7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Roman d'Eneas (about 1130) has espeir, Wace's Brut (1155) uses espoir for the feeling that leads one to hope, and al mien espeir (about 1160) meant “in my opinion”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From the start espoir meant both the act of hoping and the thing hoped for, Racine (1689) uses it of a person on whom hopes are set, a use common today in sport (un espoir du tennis).[2][9] The proverb l'espoir fait vivre and tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir are current.[1] In Louisiana French espoir also means a boyfriend or fiancé.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1130 – Espeir, Roman d'Eneas.[2][3]
  • 1155 – Espoir, Wace.[4]
  • c. 1170 – The derivative désespoir.[5]
  • 1689 – A person on whom hope rests, Racine.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. hope: avoir bon espoir, dans l'espoir de, perdre espoir, sans espoir.[9][1]
  2. A hope, something hoped for: réaliser ses espoirs.[9][2]
  3. A promising young person: un espoir du cyclisme.[9][2]
  4. (Louisiana) A boyfriend, girlfriend; fiancé.[1]

Word family

  • désespoir

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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 165b
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Espoir.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/espoir. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·