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Etymology and origin of the French word travesti

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1543 G. du Bellay, in the Mémoires of Martin du Bellay More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
Latin vestiō
From the same root
English travesty ← travesti

Pronunciation

  • /tʁa.vɛs.ti/[1]

Forms

travesti m (plural travestis)[1] Middle French transvesti (1543) and trasvesti (late 16th century).[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French travestir, used as an adjective and a noun from the past participle.[2][4][5] The verb is from Italian travestire, properly “to change one's clothes so as not to be recognized”, formed with tra-, from Latin trāns, expressing a change, and vestire (“to clothe”), from Latin vestiō.[4][5] The early form transvesti shows the influence of the Latin prefix.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1543 as the participle transvesti “disguised”, of Italian soldiers transvestiz en païsans (disguised as peasants), in the Mémoires of Martin du Bellay;[2][4] Montaigne writes travesti in 1580.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The participle meant disguised in the dress of another rank, age or sex; from 1859 a bal travesti is a fancy-dress ball.[2][4] In literary history it describes a serious work turned into burlesque verse, as in Scarron's Virgile travesti.[4][6]

As a noun, travesti named from 1831 a man's part played by a woman, or the reverse, and in 1884 such a costume and the person wearing it.[2][4] From 1913 it was used in psychopathology, and in 1923 it is recorded of a man, often homosexual, who dresses and makes himself up as a woman, the main sense today.[2][7][8] The familiar form travelo appeared about 1970.[4]

English took the adjective in the 1660s in the sense “burlesqued”, which gave the English word travesty.[9]

Timeline

  • 1543 – Transvesti “disguised” appears in the Mémoires of Martin du Bellay.[2][4]
  • 1580 – Montaigne uses the form travesti.[2][4]
  • 1660s – English borrows the participle, the source of travesty.[9]
  • 1831 – Kock uses the noun for a man's part played by a woman.[2]
  • 1859 – Ponson du Terrail writes of a bal travesti.[2]
  • 1884 – Péladan uses the noun for a disguise and its wearer.[2]
  • 1913 – First use in psychopathology.[2][7]
  • 1923 – The sense “man dressed as a woman” is recorded.[7][8]
  • About 1970 – The familiar travelo appears.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Wearing a disguise, dressed as someone of another sex or condition.[8][10][2]
  2. Rôle travesti: a part played by an actor of the other sex, as the page Chérubin.[8][11]
  3. Bal travesti: a fancy-dress or masked ball.[8][2]
  4. (literary history) Turned into burlesque, as in Le Virgile travesti.[6][10]

Noun

  1. A man, often homosexual, who dresses and makes himself up as a woman; a transvestite.[8][11][1]
  2. (theatre) An actor playing a part of the other sex, or such a part.[11][2]
  3. (dated) A costume for a masquerade or a fancy-dress ball.[8][11]
  • travestir
  • travestissement
  • travelo
  • vêtir
  • Italian travestire
  • English travesty

References

  1. ^ a b c 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 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 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 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. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  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
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Travesti.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/travesti. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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