investir

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛ̃.vɛs.tiʁ/^[1]

Forms

investir^[1] Envestir (13th century), investir (about 1410).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin investīre (“to clothe, cover”),^[3][2][4] which in medieval legal Latin (from the late 8th century) meant “to put in possession of a fief or office”, a piece of clothing being the symbol of the dignity conferred.^[3][2] It is formed from in- and vestiō (“to clothe”), from vestis (“garment”).^[2][5]

The military sense “to besiege” was borrowed from Italian investire (1304 “to attack”, early 16th century “to besiege”),^[3][2][6] and the financial sense from English invest (1613), which itself had taken it from Italian (1333).^[2][7] Bloch and Wartburg note that the sense “to attack” is found in French before “to besiege”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A charter of the Haute-Marne (1241) has envestir de “to put in possession of (a fief)”;^[3][2] Rey also records envestir “to clothe” about 1200.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The Latin sense “to clothe” is found until 1569.^[2] In 1580 it meant “to put in possession of (property)”, and before 1615 (Pasquier) “to vest solemnly with a power or dignity”, as when kings investissaient bishops with crozier and ring.^[3][5] From 1764 it was used of conferring a power or right in general, and later of giving one's confidence (1903).^[2][5]

The military sense, “to surround with troops”, appears about 1320 (envestir) and 1410;^[3][2] by figure the verb was used of epidemics and besieging thoughts (1820).^[3] The economic sense, “to place (capital) in an enterprise”, is recorded in 1922;^[2][7] in psychology and psychoanalysis investir (1927, 1943 Sartre) translates Freud's German besetzen (“to occupy (militarily)”).^[2] The reflexive s'investir “to commit oneself” is recent.^[8]

Timeline

• 1241 – Envestir “to enfeoff”.^[3]
• c. 1320 – Envestir “to encircle”.^[3]
• c. 1410 – Investir “to surround”.^[3]
• Before 1615 – “To vest with a dignity”, in Pasquier.^[3]
• 1704 – Investissement in the military sense.^[2]
• 1922 – “To invest (capital)”.^[2]
• 1927 – A term of psychoanalysis.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To invest (capital, money) in an enterprise; to devote (time, effort) to.^[8][9]
2. To vest (someone) with a power, right or office: investir qqn de sa confiance; to nominate officially as a candidate.^[9][10]
3. (military) To surround, besiege: investir une place forte; to take over (a place).^[9][3]
4. (psychology) To invest (emotional energy) in something.^[2]
5. (reflexive) S'investir: to commit oneself fully: s'investir dans son travail.^[8]

Word family

• investissement
• investiture
• réinvestir

Related words

• vêtir
• vêtement
• Latin vestis
• English invest

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 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 795b
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)