Etymologically
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inviter

Etymology and origin of the French word inviter

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1356
Borrowed from
Latin invito
Ultimate origin
Latin (invītō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin invito
English invite
French inviter

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛ̃.vi.te/[1]

Forms

inviter[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin invītō (“to invite, especially to a meal; to encourage”).[2][3][4][5][6] Rey says the Latin word is of unknown origin; it has been compared with invītus (“unwilling”) and a “*vītus” related to “vīs” “you want” (see vouloir), though for the ancients the prefix was local rather than negative.[3][7] The Latin verb had given Old French envier (about 1050), driven out by its homonym “to envy”; only the phrase à l'envi remains.[3][5]

Compare Spanish invitar and Italian invitare; convier is a near-synonym of popular origin.[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A royal ordinance of 1356 has it for asking someone to go to a place or to take part in something.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The reflexive s'inviter is in Noël du Fail (1585), and un invité “a guest” in Mme de Staël (1786).[2] With a thing as subject it means to tempt, induce, as in Malherbe's Soit qu'aux bois la chasse l'invite (1607); invitant “inviting” is in Michelet (1856).[2][3] To request with some authority, as a policeman invite someone to follow him, is in Voltaire (1769) and Marat (1790).[2][8] At cards inviter (Littré, 1867) follows invite (1767).[2][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Inherited envier.[3]
  • 1356 – Inviter.[2]
  • 14th century – Invitation.[5]
  • 1585 – S'inviter, Noël du Fail.[2]
  • 1607 – “To tempt”, Malherbe.[2]
  • 1767 – Invite, Diderot.[5]
  • 1769 – To request with authority, Voltaire.[2]
  • 1786 – Un invité, Mme de Staël.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To invite, ask someone to come or take part: inviter des amis à dîner, inviter quelqu'un à danser, c'est moi qui invite, it's my treat.[7][8]
  2. To request, call on, often with authority: le président invite l'assemblée à se taire.[8][2]
  3. (literary) To tempt, induce: le beau temps invite à la promenade.[2][8]
  4. (cards) To lead a card asking the partner to play that suit.[9][3]

Word family

  • invité
  • invite
  • invitant
  • réinviter

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 802a
  7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Inviter.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/inviter. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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