Etymologically
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vent

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (France): /vɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA (Canada): /vã/[1]

Forms

vent m (plural vents)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin ventus (“wind; flatulence; fortune; current of opinion”).[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary traces it through Proto-Italic *wentos to Proto-Indo-European *h₂wéh₁n̥ts, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”).[1] Rey places it in a family with Welsh gwynt and Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐍃 (winds) (compare English wind and German Wind).[3]

Cognate with Romanian vânt, Italian vento, Occitan vent, Catalan vent, Spanish viento and Portuguese vento.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first sense, in the Life of Saint Alexis (about 1050), is the moving air that drives a ship at sea; the Chanson de Roland has Orez i ad de tuneire e de vent (“there is a storm of thunder and wind”).[2][3][7]

Semantic evolution

Seafaring gave much of its phraseology: bon vent (1174–76), sous le vent (1376), avoir le vent en poupe “to be riding high” (1492), vent debout (1718).[2] In hunting it was the scent left by game (Chrétien de Troyes, 1176–81), whence ne savoir ne vent ne voie “to have no trace” of someone and avoir vent de “to get wind of”.[2][3] Like Latin ventus, it also meant flatulence, empty words (du vent), and the drift of fortune and opinion; in music, the wind instruments.[3][1]

Quel bon vent vous amène? as a greeting is found in 1613, and bon vent! to see off a bore in 1909.[8] Dans le vent means “fashionable”.[1] In some regions le vent is the rain-bringing wind: the south wind in Franche-Comté and the Lyonnais, the west wind in Lorraine.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – The wind at sea, Life of Saint Alexis.[2]
  • 1155 – Aval vent “downwind”, Wace.[2]
  • 1176–81 – The scent of game, Chrétien de Troyes.[2]
  • 1492 – Avoir le vent en poupe.[2]
  • 1613 – Quel bon vent vous amène?[8]
  • 1718 – Vent debout, in the Académie dictionary.[2]
  • 1909 – Bon vent! to see someone off.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. wind, moving air: le vent du nord, un coup de vent, il fait du vent.[6][1]
  2. (figurative) A trend, influence: le vent de la révolte, dans le vent, fashionable.[3][1]
  3. Empty words, hot air: c'est du vent.[1]
  4. (euphemistic) Flatulence, wind.[1][3]
  5. (hunting) The scent of game, avoir vent de, to get wind of.[2][3]
  6. (music) Instrument à vent: a wind instrument, les vents, the wind section.[1]

Word family

  • ventail
  • venter
  • éventer
  • éventail
  • contrevent
  • venteux
  • ventilateur
  • ventôse
  • ventiler
  • paravent
  • Latin ventus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 255a
  6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF