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venu

Etymology and origin of the French word venu

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1155, Wace
Ultimate origin
Latin (veniō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /və.ny/[1]

Forms

venu (feminine venue, masculine plural venus, feminine plural venues)[2][3]

Etymology

It is the past participle of venir, used as an adjective and a noun.[2][3][4] The verb continues Latin veniō (“to come”).[5]

Semantic evolution

Wace (about 1155) has it in the sense of being badly received or coming at a bad moment, and bien venu, accepted with pleasure, is recorded in 1226.[6] Être mal venu de, not to be justified in doing something, is now literary.[4][2] The Grand Robert and Petit Robert date the adjective in this sense to 1559.[3][4]

Said of living beings and things, bien venu or mal venu means well or badly developed (1808).[6][4] As a noun, le premier venu is the first person to come along, hence anyone at all, and un nouveau venu a newcomer, recorded for a late arrival in a community by Furetière (1690).[4][6]

Timeline

  • c. 1155 – Wace: badly received.[6]
  • 1226 – Bien venu “welcome”.[6]
  • 1559 – The adjective, in the Robert dictionaries.[3][4]
  • 1690 – Furetière: a newcomer to a community.[6]
  • 1808 – “Badly developed”, of a plant or animal.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Bien, mal venu: coming at the right or wrong moment; well or badly received.[4][2]
  2. (literary) Être mal venu de: to be in no position to: il serait mal venu d'insister.[4][2]
  3. Of a living being or thing, well or badly developed: un enfant mal venu.[4][6]

Noun

  1. Le premier venu: the first person to come along; anyone at all.[4]
  2. Nouveau venu: a newcomer.[4][6]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Venu.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/venu. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·