vanter

Forms

vanter^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin vānitō (“to be vain”), known only from its present participle, used by Saint Augustine as a plural noun for empty talkers.^[2][3][4][5] The verb is derived from vānitās (“empty show, vanity”), from vānus (“empty, vain”).^[3][1][6] Littré instead connected Old Occitan vanar and Italian vanare with a Latin verb vānō (“to lie”), from the same adjective.^[7]

Compare Italian vantare.^[1] The English word vaunt (early 15th century) was borrowed from the Anglo-Norman and Old French verb.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is reflexive, in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100): Hom ki traïst altre, nen est dreiz qu'il s'en vant “a man who betrays another has no right to boast of it”.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the verb was used mostly in the reflexive, se vanter “to claim merits one does not have, to boast”.^[4][3] The transitive sense “to praise, extol”, found about 1180, stayed rare until Montaigne took it up in 1580; it is still used in literary style.^[3][2][6] Se vanter de meant “to be sure of being able to do”.^[3] From the late 12th century it also meant “to pride oneself on”.^[3][2]

The phrase ce n'est pas pour me vanter, said in jest before some ordinary remark, seems to have been made popular by Labiche in 1873.^[3] Sans me vanter is recorded before 1825 in Paul-Louis Courier.^[9][10]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – The reflexive soi vanter de appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1165 – The noun vanterie is recorded.^[2][3]
• c. 1180 – The verb is used transitively for “to praise”.^[3][6]
• 1485–1486 – Pour me vanter is used without an object in Maistre Pierre Pathelin.^[2]
• Early 15th century – English borrows the verb as vaunten.^[8]
• 1580 – Montaigne revives the transitive use.^[2][3]
• 1592 – The derivative vantard is recorded.^[4]
• 1873 – Labiche popularises ce n'est pas pour me vanter.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To praise highly, extol: Le guide vantait la beauté du paysage.^[11][9]
2. Se vanter: to boast, to exaggerate one's own merits: Il se vante sans cesse.^[11][1]
3. Se vanter de: to pride oneself on, or to claim to be able to do: Elle se vante de parler cinq langues.^[11][3]
4. Sans me vanter, ce n'est pas pour me vanter: “without wishing to boast”, often said in jest.^[11][3]

Word family

• vantard
• vanterie

Related words

• vain
• vanité
• Latin vānus
• English vaunt

Usage notes

Il n'y a pas de quoi se vanter and il n'a pas à s'en vanter say that something is nothing to be proud of.^[3] Old French also had vantise “boastfulness” (about 1190), used until the 17th century, and vanteur, which vantard replaced.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 155a
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert