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exister

Etymology and origin of the French word exister

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
15th century, Pierre Cochon
Borrowed from
Latin exsisto
Ultimate origin
Latin (stō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin exsisto
French exister
English exist

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛɡ.zis.te/[1]

Forms

exister[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin ex(s)istere (“to step out, emerge; to appear”),[2][3][4][5] formed from ex- (“out of”) and sistō (“to be placed, set”), from the Indo-European root “*sta-” “to stand” of Latin stō (“to stand”) (see ester).[3][6][7]

English exist (about 1600) comes from French “exister”.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pierre Cochon's Chronique (15th century, Bloch and Wartburg date the verb to 1425) has moy existent en l'ostel de la Pierre, being present at that house;[2][4][7] the Théologie naturelle of Raymond Sebond (second half of the 16th century) uses it of the body of Christ existant in place of the bread.[2]

Semantic evolution

The verb seems to have been rare before the 17th century.[3][6][4] It meant “to be, have reality” and, with a complement, “to be found somewhere” (after 1550), whence the impersonal il existe.[3][9] In 1760 Voltaire used it for “to live”, often implying consciousness, and in the strong sense “to matter, count” (exister pour qqn).[2][3] Ça n'existe pas “that's nonsense” is recorded in 1920.[9]

The noun existence (1330) long remained philosophical, existentiel (Bergson, 1907) and existentialisme (1925, spread about 1945 with Sartre) followed.[3][4]

Timeline

  • 1330 – Existence.[3]
  • 1425 – Exister.[4]
  • 1560 – Coexistence.[3]
  • c. 1600 – English exist.[8]
  • 1745 – Coexister.[4]
  • 1760 – “To live” in Voltaire.[2]
  • 1784 – Inexistant.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To exist, have reality: le bonheur existe-t-il ?, cette coutume existe encore.[10][11]
  2. Il existe: there is, there are: il existe plusieurs solutions.[9][7]
  3. To live, be alive: aussi longtemps qu'il a existé.[9][7]
  4. To matter, count: il n'existe pas pour moi.[3][10]

Word family

  • inexistant
  • inexistence
  • coexister
  • coexistence
  • existence
  • existant
  • existentiel
  • existentialisme

Usage notes

The infinitive is also a philosophical noun, l'exister, the concrete existence of a being (20th century).[6][3]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 298b
  6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Borrowed into

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Exister.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/exister. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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