violer

Forms

violer^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin violō (“to treat with violence, violate, profane”),^[2][3][4][1] itself derived from vīs (“force, violence”), like violentus.^[2][3][5] Old Occitan violar was borrowed from the same Latin verb.^[3] Littré compared the root with Ancient Greek βία (bía, “force”).^[6]

Cognate with Italian violare and Spanish violar.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) uses it of breaking into a sacred or protected place: Les castels pris, les citez violées (“the castles taken, the cities violated”), and Il viola le temple Salomon.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Its first uses follow Latin violare: to act by force against someone or something, to attack what should be respected.^[3] Wace has it about 1155 for breaking a truce.^[2] From the 16th century it is used of laws and precepts (violer la loy, Du Bellay, 1558).^[2] The sense “to rape”, as in Latin, appears about 1170 in the Quatre Livres des Rois; until the 20th century its object was traditionally a woman.^[2][3] In Old French it also meant “to wrong, harm”, a use lost before the classical period.^[3]

Special uses keep the idea of breaking a rule: violer les tombeaux (1623), violer la langue “to commit barbarisms” (1634), now obsolete, and violer le domicile (Balzac, 1837).^[3][2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – The Chanson de Roland uses it of violating cities and the Temple.^[2][6]
• c. 1155 – Wace uses it for breaking a truce.^[2]
• c. 1170 – The sense “to rape” in the Quatre Livres des Rois.^[2][3]
• 1558 – Violer la loy in Du Bellay's Regrets.^[2]
• 1623 – Violer les tombeaux.^[2][3]
• 1647 – The deverbal noun viol is recorded.^[3][4]
• 1764 – Voltaire uses it of breaking the rules of language.^[7][5]
• 1837 – Violer le domicile in Balzac.^[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To violate, infringe something that should be respected, such as a law, treaty, promise or secret: violer un serment.^[8][2]
2. To enter by force or desecrate a sacred or legally protected place: violer une sépulture, violer le domicile.^[8][2]
3. To rape.^[8][2][1]

Word family

• viol
• violeur
• violable
• violement

Related words

• violence
• violent
• violenter
• violation
• violateur
• inviolable
• Latin violō

Usage notes

The Grand Robert records a second violer, meaning to play the instrument called viole; it is derived from that noun and was used by Verlaine in 1890.^[9]

References

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