Etymologically
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survivre

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /syʁ.vivʁ/[1]

Forms

survivre[1] Old French also sorvivre, sourvivre, from the 12th to the 15th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French sur- + vivre, compare Latin supervīvō (“to outlive”).[4][2][3][5] Wiktionary takes it as inherited from the Latin verb.[1] Compare Spanish sobrevivir, Portuguese sobreviver and Italian sopravvivere.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) says of the old emir that he tut survesquiet e Virgilie e Omer, outlived both Virgil and Homer.[4][6]

Semantic evolution

Wace has sorvivre (1160–1174), and the present participle used as a noun, sourvivant, a survivor, is from 1290.[4] The direct object construction, survivre quelqu'un (Madame de La Fayette), became rare after the 18th century;[4][2][7] survivre à is recorded by Robert Estienne in 1538.[4][2][7] Montaigne (1580) uses it for living on after a loss, as in survivre à cette perte, and of things that last after the death of their author (Magny, 1559).[4][6][8]

The Académie gave survivre à soi-même, to lose one's faculties before death, in 1694, and se survivre in 1718.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Survesquiet, in the Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • 1160–1174 – Sorvivre, in Wace.[4]
  • 1290 – Sourvivant, a survivor.[4]
  • 1538 – Survivre à, in Robert Estienne.[2][7]
  • 1559 – Of a work outlasting its author, in Magny.[8]
  • 1580 – “To live on after a loss”, in Montaigne.[4]
  • 1718 – Se survivre.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Survivre à: to outlive (someone): il a survécu à tous les siens.[7][1]
  2. Survivre à: to survive (an accident, a disaster); (absolute) to stay alive.[1][7]
  3. Of things, to last longer than: l'œuvre d'art survit à l'artiste.[7]
  4. Se survivre: to live on (in one's children or works); to outlive one's powers.[9][6]
  5. (dated, transitive) Survivre quelqu'un: to outlive someone.[7][3]

Word family

  • survie
  • survivant
  • survivance

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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 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
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 579a
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)