revers

Forms

revers m (invariable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French revers, inherited from Latin reversus (“turned back”), the past participle of revertō (“to turn back, return”), from re- and vertō (“to turn”).^[2][1][3] Rey instead calls it a borrowing from Latin,^[4] and Bloch and Wartburg note this view, since the adjective is rare and the noun is missing from the oldest texts.^[5] Old French also had the verb revertir “to return”, which died out in Middle French.^[4]

Cognate with Italian rovescio and Old Occitan revers.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record (about 1185, in Hue de Rotelande's Protheselaus, cited after the FEW) is an adjective meaning “perverse”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The adjective, “turned over, back to front”, lasted into the 16th century.^[5][4] As a noun the word meant “the contrary” (1269, 1306), then, from the end of the 14th century, the side opposite the main one, as in revers de la main (1636); figuratively it was the other, less pleasant side of a thing (1559).^[4][8][2] The back of a coin or medal is recorded in 1556, and le revers de la médaille, the downside, in 1640.^[2][8]

In dress it named a turned-back part of a garment (before 1553), then the lapels of a coat (1797) and the turned-down tops of boots (1834).^[4][2] A blow with the back of the hand is recorded about 1480, and in games a stroke made with the hand turned over, at real tennis (late 16th century) and lawn tennis (1903).^[4][2] The figurative sense “misfortune, setback” is found in revers de fortune (1583–1590, Brantôme) and alone from 1640.^[4][2]

Timeline

• c. 1185 – Adjective “perverse”.^[2][4]
• 1306 – Noun “the contrary”, in Guillaume Guiart.^[2]
• 1406–1409 – The opposite side of a thing, in the Livre des fais of Boucicaut.^[2]
• c. 1480 – A blow with the back of the hand.^[2][4]
• 1556 – The reverse of a medal or coin, in Thevet.^[2]
• 1583–1590 – Brantôme writes of revers de fortune and of strokes at real tennis.^[2]
• 1797 – The lapels of a coat.^[2][4]
• 1903 – The backhand at tennis, in L'Auto.^[2][9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The back or reverse side of a thing, opposite the main one;^[10][2] le revers de la main, the back of the hand.^[10][2]
2. The reverse of a coin or medal, opposite the avers;^[10][2] le revers de la médaille, the drawback of a thing.^[10][2]
3. A turned-back part of a garment, especially the lapels of a jacket.^[4][1]
4. (sports) A backhand stroke.^[1][4]
5. A setback, a reversal of fortune: l'équipe a subi un revers, revers de fortune.^[4][2]

Related words

• reversi
• réversible
• réversion
• envers²
• Latin revertō

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 p q r s t 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 356b
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ 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