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observer

Etymology and origin of the French word observer

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
late 10th century, Vie de saint Léger
Borrowed from
Latin observo
Ultimate origin
Latin (servō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin observo
French observer

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɔp.sɛʁ.ve/[1]

Forms

observer[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin observō (“to watch, pay attention to; to respect, comply with”), from ob- and servō (“to keep, preserve, watch over”) (see conserver).[2][3][4][5][6] In Church Latin “observare” was used especially of keeping religious duties.[4]

Compare Italian osservare and Spanish observar.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Léger (late 10th century) has Lei consentit et observat, of keeping the Christian law.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Old French used the verb only in this moral sense, “to comply with what a law prescribes”.[3] The other senses developed in the 16th and 17th centuries: to make something one's rule (Montaigne, 1580), to watch closely (Hulsius, 1607), to observe scientifically (Furetière, 1690), to watch an enemy (1681) and to notice (Amyot, 1559); faire observer qqch. à qqn “to point something out to someone” is in Fénelon (1687).[2][3]

Observer les distances was a military phrase (1868) that came to mean “to keep one's distance”.[3] The learned derivatives observation (about 1200), observateur (1491) and observatoire (1667) followed.[4]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – To keep (the law), Vie de saint Léger.[2]
  • c. 1200 – The noun observation.[4]
  • 1559 – To notice, Amyot.[2]
  • 1580 – To make (something) one's rule, Montaigne.[2]
  • 1607 – To watch attentively, Hulsius.[2]
  • 1667 – Observatoire.[4]
  • 1690 – To observe scientifically, Furetière.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To observe, watch, examine: observer les étoiles, observer qqn à la dérobée.[8][1]
  2. To notice, note, faire observer qqch. à qqn, to point something out.[1][2]
  3. To keep, comply with: observer une règle, observer une minute de silence.[8][1]
  4. S'observer: to watch oneself; to watch each other.[2]

Word family

  • observable
  • observatoire
  • inobservation
  • observation
  • observateur
  • observance
  • conserver
  • Latin observō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 283b
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Observer.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/observer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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