viser

Forms

viser^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French viser, inherited from Vulgar Latin *vīsāre (“to look at attentively”), a variant of Classical Latin vīsere (“to look at closely, go to see, visit”).^[2][3][4][5] The classical verb is an intensive of videō (“to see”), the source of voir.^[2][4][1]

Cognate with Spanish visar and Portuguese visar.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Roman de Rou (1160–1174) has it, intransitively, for directing one's gaze at a target in order to throw something at it.^[2][4] Rey also notes an early general sense “to examine, choose”, since lost.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Beside aiming, Old French viser meant more generally “to see, look at” (about 1175), a sense still found at the end of the 15th century.^[4][2] The idea of a goal then took over: viser à “to aim at, strive for” (about 1330), with a thing as subject from 1580; in classical French viser à could also mean “to resemble” (Madame de Sévigné, 1689).^[4][2]

The transitive use, “to look at the point one means to hit” and then “to point a weapon at”, is recorded from 1607 in Honoré d'Urfé's Astrée.^[2][4] Viser haut “to have great ambitions” dates from 1851, viser une place “to try to obtain” from 1837 (Balzac), and, with a statement as subject, “to concern” from 1892, whence être visé (1908) and se sentir visé (1954) “to feel targeted by a criticism”.^[2][4] In 1901 familiar French revived the old sense “to look at”, perhaps after aviser: vise un peu !.^[4][2]

Timeline

• 1160–1174 – First record, in Wace's Roman de Rou.^[2]
• 13th century – “To notice, see”, in a manuscript of Chrétien's Erec et Enide.^[2]
• 1360–1370 – Viser à “to tend towards” in Baudouin de Sebourc.^[2]
• 1607 – The transitive sense “to aim at” in d'Urfé's Astrée.^[2]
• 1668 – Viser “to stamp with a visa”, formed from visa.^[5][7]
• 1690 – Furetière records voilà bien visé pour un borgne.^[2]
• 1851 – Viser haut in Sainte-Beuve.^[2]
• 1901 – Bruant records the slang sense “to look at, eye”.^[2]
• 1908 – Être visé “to be the target of a criticism”, in Anatole France.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To aim: to direct one's gaze, and a weapon or projectile, at a target: viser juste.^[7][2]
2. Viser haut: to be ambitious;^[7][2] viser moins haut: to be more modest in one's aims.^[7][2]
3. Viser à: to aim at, strive for something.^[7][2]
4. To seek to obtain or reach an objective: viser un poste.^[2][4]
5. To concern or be directed at someone: se sentir visé.^[2][4]
6. (familiar) To look at, eye: vise un peu !.^[4][1]

Word family

• aviser
• susvisé
• visée
• viseur

Related words

• voir
• vision
• réviser
• visa
• Latin vīsō

Usage notes

A separate verb viser, formed from visa in 1668, means to examine a document and stamp it with a visa: faire viser un certificat.^[5][7][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 r s t u v 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 520b
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert