intervenir

Forms

intervenir^[1] Old French entrevenir (about 1190) and entervenir (1282), adapted forms that lasted into the 17th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin interveniō (“to come between, to occur meanwhile, to interrupt, to interfere”), recorded from 1363 according to the FEW and Bloch and Wartburg; the TLFi's first example dates from 1475.^[2][4][3][5] The Latin verb is formed of inter- (“between”) and veniō (“to come”).^[2][6]

Old French had the adapted forms entrevenir (“to happen”) and entervenir (“to take part in”), probably distinct from a reflexive verb meaning “to meet one another, to clash” (1155, Wace), which may be a compound of venir.^[3][2][4]

Cognate with Old Occitan intervenir, Spanish intervenir, Portuguese intervir and Italian intervenire.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first example in the TLFi, from 1475 in the royal ordinances, is legal: of causes that have arisen between any persons whatever.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Until the 15th century the verb meant “to happen, to arise”, and only in law.^[2] From 1551 it was used of a person taking part in an affair already under way in order to influence it, usually to help.^[3][2] In the 19th century it became a political word for entering a conflict or war (faire intervenir la force armée, 1845).^[2][3]

In the late 19th century it took the wider sense “to play a part among other factors” (1876, Renan).^[2][8] In medicine it meant acting firmly to stop a disease (1902) and in particular operating (about 1915).^[2][3] The participle intervenant named a party intervening in a lawsuit in 1666 and a speaker in a debate from 1879.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1363 – First recorded, according to the FEW and Bloch and Wartburg.^[2][4]
• 1475 – Used in law for causes arising between persons.^[3]
• 1551 – Used of a person taking part in an affair.^[3][2]
• 1666 – Furetière has intervenant for a party intervening in a lawsuit.^[3][2]
• 1845 – Faire intervenir la force armée is recorded.^[3][2]
• 1876 – Renan uses it for “to play a part”.^[2][8]
• 1902 – The medical sense is recorded.^[3][2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (law) To occur in the course of proceedings; by extension, to be reached or take place: Un compromis est intervenu entre les deux parties.^[9][8]
2. To take part in an affair in order to influence it, to intervene or intercede: Le ministre est intervenu en sa faveur.^[9][7]
3. To take action, of the police or the army: Les pompiers sont intervenus en dix minutes.^[9][2]
4. (medicine) To operate.^[9][2]
5. Of things, to play a part: Le hasard est intervenu dans cette découverte.^[9][8]

Word family

• intervenant

Related words

• intervention
• non-intervention
• venir
• Latin interveniō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
4. ^ a b c 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. 4, 764a
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert