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prévoir

Etymology and origin of the French word prévoir

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1219, Tailliar (previr)
Ultimate origin
Latin (videō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pʁe.vwaʁ/[1]

Forms

prévoir[1] Previr (1219), remade as preveoir, prevoir (1265); the Académie spelled it prevoir until 1718 and prévoir from 1740.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is a semi-learned borrowing of Latin praevideō (“to see beforehand, foresee”), from prae- (“before”) and videō (“to see”), remade after voir.[4][2][5][3][6] Wiktionary treats it as inherited through Old French “preveoir”.[1]

Old French preferred pourvoir in the sense “to foresee, envisage”; once the meanings were shared out, “prévoir” kept that sense and became common.[4][2][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Brunetto Latini's Trésor (1284 manuscript) uses it for imagining in advance what is to happen: Garde toi de prevoir ce qui nos est deveé “beware of foreseeing what is forbidden to us”, Rey and the GLLF have the form previr from 1219.[4][8][2]

Semantic evolution

Jean Marot (1537) uses it for considering future events and taking the necessary steps: qui bien prevoit obvie à maint meschef “who foresees well avoids many a mishap”.[4][8] Racine (1669) has it for arranging in advance, a sense mostly used in the passive, whence the familiar comme prévu “as planned” (1960), condemned by some grammarians.[4][2]

Its derivatives include prévoyance (1410), modelled on pourvoyance with the prefix of prévoir, and imprévu (1535).[2][7]

Timeline

  • 1219 – Previr.[2][3]
  • 1265 – Prevoir, Brunetto Latini.[2][5]
  • 1537 – To foresee and prepare, Jean Marot.[4]
  • 1669 – To arrange in advance, Racine.[4]
  • 1960 – Comme prévu.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To foresee, expect, anticipate: prévoir le pire, il était facile de prévoir qu'il échouerait.[9][1]
  2. To forecast: la pluie est prévue pour demain.[1]
  3. To plan, arrange in advance; to provide for: tout est prévu, prévoir des provisions.[9][1]
  4. (law) To stipulate: la loi prévoit que….[1]

Word family

  • prévision
  • prévisible
  • prévu
  • prévoyance
  • prévoyant
  • imprévu
  • imprévisible

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
  5. ^ a b 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, 326a
  7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Prévoir.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/pr%C3%A9voir. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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