voler

Pronunciation

• IPA: /vɔ.le/^[1]

Forms

voler^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin volō (“to fly; to go quickly”), keeping both Latin values, movement through the air and speed.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Rey notes that a link with a Vedic word for “winged” has been suggested but not established.^[3]

The sense “to steal” grew out of falconry, from phrases such as “voler la perdrix” “to take the partridge in flight”, said of a falcon or of the hunter; it replaced Old French rober (whence dérober) and embler, from Latin involō (“to fly at; to carry off”).^[4][6][7][1] Littré, who knew the theory that the thieving “voler” came from “involāre”, concluded that it is the same verb as “voler” “to fly”.^[8] The Grand Robert and Petit Robert list the sense “to steal” under a separate headword of the same origin.^[6][7]

Cognate with Italian volare, Occitan volar, Catalan volar, Spanish volar and Portuguese voar.^[7][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Sequence of Saint Eulalia (late 9th century) has In figure de colomb volat a ciel (“in the form of a dove she flies to heaven”).^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it is used of things thrown into the air, such as splinters of a lance, and faire voler la tête “to cut off someone's head” is found about 1130.^[2][3] About 1155 it meant “to run very fast” and “to spread”, of fire, then of news (1226); people fly in texts from about 1170, voler en éclats appears about 1529, and time vole from about 1384.^[3]

In falconry it meant from the 12th century to hunt with birds of prey, as in voler la perdrix (1165–1170), and of a hawk to hunt in flight (1349).^[2][3] The sense “to steal” is recorded in 1540 by Robert Estienne (1549 in Bloch and Wartburg).^[6][4] The Académie recorded voler de ses propres ailes “to stand on one's own feet” in 1694, and Stendhal has on eût entendu voler une mouche (1836).^[2] Climbers use it for a fall (1900).^[10]

Timeline

• late 9th century – Volat in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.^[2]
• c. 1100 – Of things flying through the air, in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• 1165–1170 – Voler la perdrix, in falconry.^[3]
• 1226 – Of news spreading.^[3]
• c. 1529 – Voler en éclats.^[3]
• 1540 – “To steal”, in Robert Estienne.^[6]
• 1694 – Voler de ses propres ailes.^[2]
• 1836 – On eût entendu voler une mouche in Stendhal.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To fly: la plupart des oiseaux volent.^[11][7]
2. To fly through the air, be thrown: voler en éclats.^[3]
3. To rush: voler au secours de quelqu'un.^[3][12]
4. (falconry) To hunt, fly at (game).^[1][2]
5. To steal: voler une montre à quelqu'un; to rob: voler quelqu'un.^[7][1]
6. (mountaineering) To fall.^[10]
7. Voler de ses propres ailes: to stand on one's own feet, on entendrait voler une mouche: you could hear a pin drop.^[2]

Word family

• revoler
• survoler
• vol
• volant
• voleur
• volière
• vole
• volée
• volerie
• volet
• voleter
• volige
• envoler

Related words

• volaille
• dérober
• Latin volō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c 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, 598b
6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
12. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse