investir French · revision 15833

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1241, envestir|origins=la vestis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.vɛs.tiʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''investir'''^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Envestir'' (13th century), ''investir'' (about 1410).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|investiō|alt=investīre|t=to clothe, cover]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|4, 795b) which in medieval legal Latin (from the late 8th century) meant “to put in possession of a fief or office”, a piece of clothing being the symbol of the dignity conferred.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It is formed from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|vestiō|t=to clothe]], from [[m|la|vestis|t=garment]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ The military sense “to besiege” was borrowed from [[it|investire]] (1304 “to attack”, early 16th century “to besiege”),^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) and the financial sense from [[en|invest]] (1613), which itself had taken it from Italian (1333).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Bloch and Wartburg note that the sense “to attack” is found in French before “to besiege”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A charter of the Haute-Marne (1241) has ''envestir de'' “to put in possession of (a fief)”;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Rey also records ''envestir'' “to clothe” about 1200.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Latin sense “to clothe” is found until 1569.^(DHLF 1992) In 1580 it meant “to put in possession of (property)”, and before 1615 (Pasquier) “to vest solemnly with a power or dignity”, as when kings ''investissaient'' bishops with crozier and ring.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005) From 1764 it was used of conferring a power or right in general, and later of giving one's confidence (1903).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ The military sense, “to surround with troops”, appears about 1320 (''envestir'') and 1410;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) by figure the verb was used of epidemics and besieging thoughts (1820).^(TLFi) The economic sense, “to place (capital) in an enterprise”, is recorded in 1922;^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) in psychology and psychoanalysis ''investir'' (1927, 1943 Sartre) translates Freud's [[de|besetzen|t=to occupy (militarily)]].^(DHLF 1992) The reflexive ''s'investir'' “to commit oneself” is recent.^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1241 – ''Envestir'' “to enfeoff”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1320 – ''Envestir'' “to encircle”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1410 – ''Investir'' “to surround”.^(TLFi)

+ * Before 1615 – “To vest with a dignity”, in Pasquier.^(TLFi)

+ * 1704 – ''Investissement'' in the military sense.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1922 – “To invest (capital)”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1927 – A term of psychoanalysis.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|invest]] (capital, money) in an enterprise; to devote (time, effort) to.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To vest (someone) with a power, right or office: ''investir qqn de sa confiance''; to nominate officially as a candidate.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(military)'' To surround, [[m|en|besiege]]: ''investir une place forte''; to take over (a place).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(psychology)'' To invest (emotional energy) in something.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''S'investir'': to commit oneself fully: ''s'investir dans son travail''.^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[investissement]]

+ * [[investiture]]

+ * [[réinvestir]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vêtir]]

+ * [[vêtement]]

+ * [[la|vestis]]

+ * [[en|invest]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}