Etymologically
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inviter

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 08:42. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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)