vers1 towards
Pronunciation
Forms
vers[1]
Etymology
The preposition is inherited from Latin versus (“turned towards; in the direction of”) (variant “versum”), the past participle of vertō (“to turn”), used in classical Latin as an adverbial particle, usually placed after a noun introduced by a preposition to stress direction.[2][3][4][5] Rey relates “vertō” to Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “he turns”) and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰 (wairþa, “I become”).[2] The preposition is a doublet of the learned versus.[1]
Cognate with Italian verso, Catalan vers and Old Occitan ves.[6][1]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first found about 980 in the sense “in the direction of”, with a verb of movement.[2][3]
Semantic evolution
Without movement it is found in the Chanson de Roland (1080), and about 1170 before a person, in the sense “to, up to” (viens vers moi), now archaic or regional.[2] In the early 12th century it took the temporal sense “around, about”, often of a person's age.[2]
From the Chanson de Roland to the 17th century it also expressed an attitude towards someone (être sincère vers quelqu'un); Vaugelas condemned it in favour of envers, but the use survives in Swiss French.[2] About 1265 it began to mark the end point of a tendency (un pas vers la vérité).[2] In several French regions, in Belgium and in Switzerland (from 1345) it also means “near, at” (elle travaille vers Lausanne).[2] The compound devers dates from 1080.[4]
Timeline
- c. 980 – Vers of direction.[2]
- 1080 – Without movement, in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
- 1080 – Devers.[4]
- Early 12th century – Temporal “around”.[2]
- c. 1265 – Marking a tendency.[2]
- 1345 – Regional “near”.[2]
- 17th century – Vaugelas prefers envers for an attitude towards someone.[2]
Meanings
Preposition
- Towards, in the direction of: se diriger vers la sortie.[7][1]
- Facing, turned towards: tourner la tête vers quelqu'un, une façade qui regarde vers le sud.[7]
- Towards, of a tendency: un premier pas vers la paix.[7][2]
- Around, about (a time): vers midi, vers 1900.[1][2]
- (regional, Belgium, Switzerland) Near, at: Il travaille vers Lausanne.[2]
Word family
- devers
vers2 verse
Pronunciation
Forms
vers m (invariable)[1]
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Latin versus (“furrow; line, row; line of writing; line of verse”), from the past participle of vertō (“to turn”): it first meant the turning of the plough at the end of a furrow, hence a furrow or line.[8][9][4][10] In Old French it often meant a stanza or “laisse” (about 1170), a courtly lyric (1176, after Old Occitan vers (“sung lyric poem”), recorded about 1100 in William IX), a song (about 1180) and a liturgical verse (about 1190); these senses were lost in the 14th and 15th centuries, when words such as “strophe” and “chanson” took them over.[8][3]
Cognate with Italian verso and Old Occitan vers.[11]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first found about 1138–1140 in Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis, meaning a line of measured words forming the rhythmic unit of a poem.[8][9]
Semantic evolution
The plural vers “poetry” is found about 1180 (Thomas, Tristan), and Du Bellay used the singular collectively in 1549.[8] Vers libres first meant unrhymed lines (1549), then lines of unequal length and irregular rhyme in one poem (1673, Molière), and finally free verse in the modern sense (1888, Gustave Kahn).[8] Vers blancs, unrhymed verse in a language that uses rhyme, dates from 1735 (Voltaire).[8][9]
Timeline
- c. 1138 – A line of verse, in Gaimar.[8][9]
- c. 1170 – “Stanza, laisse”, in Chrétien de Troyes.[8]
- c. 1180 – The plural vers “poetry”.[8]
- 1549 – Vers libres “unrhymed lines”, in Du Bellay.[8]
- 1673 – Vers libres of irregular lines, in Molière.[8]
- 1735 – Vers blancs in Voltaire.[8]
- 1888 – Vers libre in the modern sense, in Gustave Kahn.[8]
Meanings
Noun
- A line of verse: un vers de douze syllabes.[7][8]
- In the plural: verse, poetry: écrire en vers.[9][1]
- Vers libre: free verse, vers blanc: blank verse.[8]
Word family
- verset
Related words
- verser
- envers
- versus
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 312b
- ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
- ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 315b
- ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“Vers.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/vers. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.
Last edited on . ·