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plaisir

Etymology and origin of the French word plaisir

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Inherited from
Latin placeo via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (placeō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin placeo
French plaisir
Latin placidus

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /plɛ.ziʁ/[1]
  • IPA: /ple.ziʁ/[1]

Forms

plaisir m (plural plaisirs)[1]

Etymology

It is the old infinitive inherited from Old French plaisir (“to please”), used as a noun, inherited from Latin placeō (“to please”).[2][3][4][5][6][1] As an infinitive “plaisir” was replaced in the 13th century by plaire, formed by analogy, as “faire” and “traire” stood beside “il fait”, “il trait”.[4][3][7]

Compare Occitan plaser, Catalan plaer, Spanish placer, Portuguese prazer and Italian piacere.[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) in a son plaisir “at his pleasure, as he wishes”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it meant only “what one wishes to do or order” (1121–1134).[3][2] That sense lives on in phrases: à plaisir “as much as one likes” (about 1190), later “for no reason, wantonly” (1636), and bon plaisir (about 1480), remembered from the royal formula car tel est notre bon plaisir (1638).[3][2]

The modern sense, an agreeable sensation or feeling, is recorded in 1349.[2] Prendre plaisir à dates from about 1433, pour son plaisir from 1524 and faire plaisir à quelqu'un from the 15th century.[2][8] The parting formula au plaisir de vous revoir, au plaisir, is recorded in 1837.[9][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – A son plaisir in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • 1121–1134 – “What one wishes”, in Philippe de Thaon.[2]
  • 1349 – “Pleasure, agreeable feeling”.[2]
  • c. 1433 – Prendre plaisir à.[2]
  • c. 1480 – Le bon plaisir.[2]
  • 1638 – Tel est notre bon plaisir, in Sully.[2]
  • 1837 – Au plaisir de vous revoir.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. pleasure, enjoyment: avec plaisir, par plaisir.[10][1]
  2. A pleasure, an amusement: les plaisirs de la vie.[10]
  3. Faire plaisir à: to please, do a favour to.[8]
  4. (dated) What one wishes: tel est notre bon plaisir, à plaisir: wantonly.[10][3]
  5. Au plaisir: goodbye (au plaisir de vous revoir).[9]

Word family

  • déplaisir

Usage notes

A second plaisir (1829) named a wafer, the oublie, sold with the cry voilà le plaisir !.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b 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. 9, 2a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Plaisir.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/plaisir. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·