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vivant

Etymology and origin of the French word vivant

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (a son vivant)
Ultimate origin
Latin (vīvō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin vivo
French vivre
French vivant
Latin vivesco

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /vi.vɑ̃/[1]

Forms

vivant (feminine vivante, masculine plural vivants, feminine plural vivantes)[1]

Etymology

Used as an adjective and a noun, it is the present participle from French vivre (“to live”).[2][3][1][4] Vivre is from Latin vīvō (“to live”).[5] Wiktionary thinks it probably modelled on vīvēns (“living”).[1]

The noun in “de son vivant” comes from the gerund.[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The noun is first found in the Life of Saint Alexis (about 1050), in a son vivant “in his lifetime”; the Chanson de Roland has ne l'amerai à trestut mun vivant, “I shall not love him as long as I live”.[6][5][7] The adjective is dated about 1150 by the Grand Robert.[3]

Semantic evolution

En son vivant is in Wace (about 1155) and du vivant de in Palsgrave (1530); the noun now survives only in these phrases.[6][4] The adjective, opposed to mort, also meant lively, full of life: of a place, un quartier bien vivant (1800), and of a language, langue vivante.[8][2] In linguistics a formation is vivante when speakers still use it productively (Darmesteter, 1877).[8] Figuratively, a livre vivant (1785) or bibliothèque vivante is a very learned person.[8][6]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – A son vivant, Life of Saint Alexis.[6]
  • c. 1100 – A trestut mun vivant, Chanson de Roland.[5][7]
  • c. 1150 – The adjective.[3]
  • 1530 – Du vivant de, Palsgrave.[6]
  • 1785 – Livre vivant, Restif de La Bretonne.[8]
  • 1800 – Of a lively district.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. alive, living: il est encore vivant, les êtres vivants, enterré vivant.[4][1]
  2. Lively, full of life: un quartier vivant, un récit vivant.[8][2]
  3. Still in use: langue vivante, une tradition vivante.[2][8]
  4. Embodied, living (image): le portrait vivant de son père, un squelette vivant.[2][4]

Noun

  1. A living person: les vivants et les morts.[4][1]
  2. De son vivant, du vivant de: in one's lifetime.[4][6]
  3. Bon vivant: a person who enjoys life (1680, Richelet).[6][4]

References

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

“Vivant.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/vivant. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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