exploit

Forms

exploit m (plural exploits)^[1] Old French espleit, esploit (nominative esplois); the spelling exploit is a 14th-century remodelling after Latin.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French espleit, inherited from Vulgar Latin *explicitum (“thing carried out”).^[2][3][5][6] That is the neuter of Latin explicitus, past participle of explicō (“to unfold, to accomplish”), used as a noun.^[2][3] The ⟨x⟩ of the modern form is a 14th-century remodelling after the Latin verb.^[2][3][4]

The TLFi instead considers the noun probably a deverbal from French exploiter, whose Old French form espleitier goes back to Vulgar Latin *explicitō, and so does Wiktionary.^[7][1]

Bloch and Wartburg note that the word is found only in Gallo-Romance, as in Old Occitan esplech (“advantage”).^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) in the phrase a espleit “with vigour, at full speed”, of a horse spurred on.^[7][2][8]

Semantic evolution

Old French espleit kept the Latin sense “something carried through, success”, from which came “advantage”, “profit” and “revenue”, used until the 14th century.^[2][4] About 1200 it took the sense “brilliant deed, especially in war”, now literary; from 1674 (Boileau) it also names any remarkable achievement, as in sport, and it is often used ironically.^[2][7][4]

From the legal sense of exploiter “to seize”, exploit de justice named in 1353 a writ served by a bailiff, a use rare before 1607.^[7][2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – A espleit “with vigour” in the Chanson de Roland.^[7]
• c. 1200 – Esplois “deed of valour” in the Chanson d'Antioche.^[7]
• 1353 – Exploit de justice, a bailiff's writ, is recorded at Lille.^[7]
• c. 1360 – Froissart uses the form exploit.^[4]
• 1674 – Boileau uses it for any remarkable achievement.^[4][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (literary or dated) A feat of arms, a heroic deed in war.^[9][7]
2. A remarkable achievement, an exploit: un exploit sportif.^[9][10]
3. (ironic) A foolish or unimpressive deed: quel exploit !^[10]
4. (law) A writ served by a bailiff (exploit d'huissier) to summon, notify or seize.^[10][7]

Related words

• exploiter
• expliquer
• explicite
• Latin explicō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 312a
7. ^ 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
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)