Etymologically
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vite

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Pronunciation

Forms

vite[1] Old French viste (about 1150), written so until the 16th century, vite from about 1250.[2] The Académie wrote viste in 1694 and 1718, vîte in 1740 and 1762, and vite from 1798.[2][3]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[3][2][4] The FEW and Bloch and Wartburg derive it from an expressive stem from French vist- imitating a sudden, rapid movement, as in Old Italian “visto” and Italian vispo (“lively”).[3][5][6]

An older view, taken up by Pierre Guiraud, derives it from a Vulgar Latin *visitus (“who sees well”), the past participle of vīsō (“to look at closely”): a “vite” man would be one who sees clearly in action, Rey finds this plausible in meaning but unsupported, and Wartburg rejected it.[2][4][5] Littré, too, thought it meant “quick as sight”, like the Norman cry “à la viste”, and also mentions Latin vegetus (“lively”), which hardly fits the form.[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1150 the Roman de Thèbes uses viste of a person, “quick, nimble, skilled”: vistes est de chevalerie “he is skilled in knighthood”.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The Old French adjective had several senses linked with skill: agile in combat or on horseback (about 1150), sensible (about 1196), cunning (early 13th century).[2] Applied to someone who covers much ground in little time (about 1165), and later to a quick action, it remained usual in the 17th century but became rare in the 18th.[2][3]

The adverb appears in the 16th century, in plus viste que le pas (about 1530) and alone in 1538; it gradually replaced vitement.[2][8] The exclamation vite ! is in Molière (1659), au plus vite in La Fontaine (1678) and aller vite en besogne “to be hasty” in 1640.[3] The adjective was revived in horse racing in 1805, translating English fast, and later in fencing and athletics; in France it is felt as technical, but it is common in Quebec.[2][9]

Timeline

  • c. 1150 – Viste in the Roman de Thèbes.[3]
  • c. 1165 – Viste a cheval e viste a pié in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[3]
  • c. 1250 – The spelling vite.[2][10]
  • c. 1530 – The adverb, in plus viste que le pas.[3]
  • 1538 – Qui va vite en besogne in Robert Estienne.[3]
  • 1659 – Vite ! as an order in Molière.[3]
  • 1798 – The Académie adopts the spelling vite.[3]
  • 1805 – The adjective is revived in horse racing.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. quickly, fast: courir vite.[8][11]
  2. In a short time, soon: il sera vite guéri.[11][12]
  3. Too hastily: vous avez parlé trop vite.[11]
  4. Vite !: quick!, hurry!, au plus vite: as soon as possible.[3][11]
  5. Vite fait, vite fait bien fait: quickly and without fuss.[2]

Adjective

  1. (sports, informal) fast, rapid: le coureur le plus vite.[11][8]

Word family

  • vitesse
  • vitement

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 533a
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)