Etymologically
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invité

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Pronunciation

  • /ɛ̃.vi.te/[1]

Forms

invité m (plural invités, feminine invitée)[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle of inviter, used as an adjective and a noun.[2][3][4] The verb is borrowed from Latin invītō (“to invite, especially to a meal; to encourage”) (1356);[2][5] the Latin verb is of unknown origin and has been linked with invītus (“unwilling”).[5] The Latin verb had given Old French envier by regular change, but that verb was lost beside its homonym, leaving only à l'envi.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The participle is used as an adjective from the 14th century.[3] As a noun it is first found in 1786, in a letter of Madame de Staël: la moitié des invités est déjà partie “half the guests have already left”.[2]

Semantic evolution

The GLLF and the Petit Robert date the noun only from the early 19th century (Paul-Louis Courier, before 1825), later than the TLFi's 1786.[3][4][2]

Timeline

  • 1356 – The verb inviter is recorded.[2]
  • 14th century – Invité as an adjective.[3]
  • 1786 – The noun les invités in Madame de Staël.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A guest, a person invited to a meal, a party, a ceremony or another event.[2][4][1]
  2. Invité de marque: a distinguished guest.[2][4]

Adjective

  1. invited.[1][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette