virer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /vi.ʁe/^[1]

Forms

virer^[1]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Vulgar Latin *virāre, an alteration of classical Latin vibrāre (“to shake, brandish, hurl”) with the labials dissimilated,^[2][3][4][5] the short “i” made long under the influence of Latin lībrāre (“to balance; to hurl by swinging”).^[2][4][3] The learned vibrer is a doublet.^[1]

Diez derived it instead from Latin viriae (“bracelets”) (compare virole), an idea revived by P. Guiraud from dialect words such as “vire” “ferrule”;^[3][6][7] Meyer-Lübke and Wartburg reject it on the evidence of Italian dialect forms.^[3] Wiktionary also mentions Latin gȳrō (“to turn”) and a Gaulish source.^[1]

Cognate with Italian virare, Old Occitan virar, Catalan virar, Spanish virar and Portuguese virar.^[8][9] English veer (1580s) comes from “virer”.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Brut (1155) has it in the sense “to turn”;^[2][3] about 1196 Jean Bodel uses it of hurling a spear with a swing (espiel li vire).^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From “to turn” came “to change” (1223, Gautier de Coinci, virer le bien en mal), and, from about 1433 the intransitive “to turn round”, as in tourner et virer.^[2][3] The word became a sailing term: virer de bord (1694), used figuratively for changing sides (1798), virer au cabestan and virer le cap (1690).^[2][3] From ships it passed to cyclists (1892) and motorists turning a bend, whence virage.^[2][3]

Virer partie “to pay by transfer” is recorded in 1636, and virer a sum to an account in the 20th century, after virement.^[2][3] Since 1763 it has described a colour changing (virer au violet, 1818), and in photography it means to tone a print (1856–1857).^[3][2] The familiar virer qqn “to throw out, sack” is from about 1913–1931, perhaps from vire de bord ! “clear off!” or from a dialect sense “to drive (cattle) by turning them”.^[8][2] In Quebec virer keeps the plain sense “to turn” (virer une crêpe) and is used for “to become” (virer fou).^[3]

Timeline

• 1155 – “To turn” in Wace.^[2]
• c. 1196 – “To hurl with a swing”, in Jean Bodel.^[3]
• 1223 – “To change”, in Gautier de Coinci.^[2]
• c. 1433 – “To turn round”.^[2]
• 1580s – English veer.^[10]
• 1636 – Virer partie “to pay by transfer”.^[2]
• 1694 – Virer de bord.^[2]
• 1892 – Of a cyclist, “to take a bend”.^[2]
• 1931 – Virer qqn “to sack”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To turn, veer, change direction: virer à droite, virer de bord: to go about; to change sides.^[8][1]
2. To turn round, spin.^[8][11]
3. Virer à: to turn into, become: virer au rouge, virer à l'aigre.^[1][3]
4. (nautical) To heave (a capstan, a cable).^[8][11]
5. To transfer (money): virer une somme sur un compte.^[8][1]
6. (photography) To tone (a print).^[8]
7. (familiar) To throw out, fire; to get rid of: se faire virer.^[8][1]

Word family

• virage
• virement
• environ
• revirer
• virée
• virevolter
• revirement

Related words

• environs
• chavirer
• vibrer
• virole
• Latin vibrō
• English veer

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 q 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 l m n 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 384a
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)