Etymology and origin of the French word vengeance
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 1100 Chanson de Roland More words from the 11th century
- Ultimate origin
- Latin vindicō
Etymology tree
From the same root
Pronunciation
- /vɑ̃.ʒɑ̃s/[1]
Forms
vengeance f (plural vengeances)[1] Old French venjance;[2][3] vengence in the 14th century and the spelling vengeance from the 15th.[2][3] Anglo-Norman also wrote vengance and vengaunce.[4]
Etymology
It is formed from French venger + -ance.[5][1][6] The base verb goes back to Latin vindicō (“to claim at law, to avenge”).[6] The DHLF treats the modern spelling as a 16th-century reshaping of venjance.[7] Old French also used vengison and vengement in the same sense.[8]
Compare Old Occitan venjansa, Spanish venganza and Walloon veingeanss.[8]
Earliest recorded meaning
The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has it as venjance: Mult grant venjance en prendrat l'emperere “the emperor will take very great vengeance for it”.[5][8]
Semantic evolution
The word names the act of avenging oneself or someone, matching the senses of the verb.[7] From 1670 (Bossuet) it also names the desire for revenge.[7] It entered verbal phrases: prendre vengeance is already in the Roland,[2] faire vengeance (Rabelais, 1538) has aged, demander vengeance dates from 1549, crier vengeance from 1561 (Calvin), and tirer vengeance (1636) is still usual.[7][2] Divine vengeance is recorded from 1559 (Amyot).[2]
The proverb la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid is recorded in 1964, after la vengeance se mange froide in 1923.[2]
Timeline
- c. 1100 – Venjance appears in the Chanson de Roland.[5]
- 1538 – Rabelais has faire vengeance.[7]
- 1549 – Demander vengeance is recorded.[7][2]
- 1559 – Amyot writes of divine vengeance.[2]
- 1561 – Calvin uses crier vengeance.[7]
- 15th–16th century – The spelling vengeance replaces venjance.[2][7]
- 1636 – Tirer vengeance is recorded.[7][2]
- 1670 – Bossuet uses it for the desire for revenge.[7]
- 1923 – La vengeance se mange froide is recorded.[2]
Meanings
Noun
- revenge, vengeance: harm done to an offender in return for an offence;[9][5][8] tirer vengeance de: to take revenge for.[9][5][8]
- The desire for revenge: esprit de vengeance.[9][8]
- (religion) Divine punishment.[9][2]
Related words
- venger
- vengeur
- revanche
- vindicte
- vindicatif
- vendetta
- Latin vindicō
Usage notes
Crier vengeance and demander vengeance mean “to call out to be avenged”, but Littré notes that crier vengeance is also said of a deed that deserves to be punished.[8]
References
- ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
- ^ a b c d e 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
- ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry
“Vengeance.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/vengeance. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.
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