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raviver

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Etymology and origin of the French word raviver

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1175 Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Chronique des ducs de Normandie More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Latin vīvus

Pronunciation

Forms

raviver[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French re- + aviver.[2][3][4][1] The verb aviver is itself built on vif "alive, lively", which goes back to Latin vīvus (“alive”).[1][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Chronique des ducs de Normandie, dated about 1175 by the TLFi, where it is used figuratively of a feeling that is roused or made more active again:[2][6] Se raviverent plusor mal, Haïne, noise e ires granz (“many evils revived, hatred, strife and great anger”).[4] The Grand Robert and the GLLF date this sense to about 1160.[3][7]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense came first; the concrete use of rekindling embers is dated to about 1320 by Rey, and the TLFi records the sense “bring back to its first intensity” in the first quarter of the 13th century.[6][2] In Middle French it could also mean “cured, brought back to health”, in a 15th-century tale quoted by Littré.[4]

The Académie recorded the use for making colours bright again in 1762.[2][7] Technical senses followed: in metalworking, cleaning a metal surface before gilding or soldering (1765, the Encyclopédie), and in surgery, refreshing the edges of a wound so that it heals (1798, Académie).[2][6][8] The derived nouns ravivement and ravivage date from the 19th and early 20th centuries.[6][2]

Timeline

  • 1175 – Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it of feelings roused again.[2]
  • Early 13th century – It means “bring back to its first intensity”.[2]
  • c. 1320 – First concrete use, of embers.[6]
  • 1694 – It is used for reviving strength.[6]
  • 1762 – The Académie records it of colours.[2]
  • 1765 – The Encyclopédie uses it in metalworking.[2]
  • 1798 – The Académie records the surgical sense.[2]
  • 1857 – Michelet uses the derived noun ravivement.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make (a fire, a flame) burn more brightly; to rekindle: Le vent du soir ravivait les braises.[8][2][1]
  2. To restore the brightness of (colours, an old painting).[8][2][4]
  3. (figurative) To revive (a memory, a pain, anger, fear).[8][7]
  4. (technology) To clean or scour (a metal) before soldering or gilding it.[8][7]
  5. (surgery) To refresh the edges of (a wound) so that it heals.[8][4]
  6. Se raviver: to flare up or come back to life again: Sa colère s'est ravivée.[8][2]

Word family

  • ravivage
  • ravivement

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 k l m n o 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 584a
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Raviver.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/raviver. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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