rêver French · revision 15837

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1130, Anglo-Norman Lapidaries}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁɛ.ve/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ʁe.ve/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rêver'''^(Wiktionary)

+ [[fro|resver]], ''rever''; the Académie wrote ''resver'' until 1718 and ''rêver'' from 1740.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) The first syllable is the prefix [[re-]];^(DHLF 1992) Wartburg (FEW) takes the rest from an unattested Old French verb “*esver” “to wander”, also behind [[m|fro|desver|t=to lose one's mind]] and modern [[endêver]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|10, 184b) from a Gallo-Roman “*esvo” “vagabond”, from a popular Latin [[la-vul|*exvagus]], built on [[la|vagus|t=wandering]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) P. Guiraud proposed instead a Latin “*reexvadere”, from [[m|la|ēvādō|t=to escape]], dreaming being an escape from reality.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Rey calls both hypotheses ingenious but unverifiable.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Littré considered [[en|rave]] a borrowing from the French verb.^(Littré 1873) Wiktionary compares [[ang|rǣswan|t=to consider, conjecture]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Anglo-Norman Lapidaries (about 1130) use ''resver'' for being delirious with illness;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) about 1240 it means “to talk nonsense” (''reever'').^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old and Middle French the verb chiefly meant “to wander about for pleasure, roam” (Jean de Meun, 1269–1278), and in 1491 “to go about in disguise at carnival”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The sense “to rave, be delirious” lasted into the 17th century (Madame de Sévigné's ''rêver sans fièvre'').^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ In the 16th century it turned to “to let one's thoughts wander” (Ronsard, 1552) and then to “to think about, ponder” (d'Aubigné, Larivey's ''je vas resvant si...'' of 1579).^(TLFi)^(BHVF) Régnier (1606) uses it for desiring something ardently.^(TLFi) The modern sense “to have dreams in sleep” emerged in the 17th century, transitively in Corneille (1640) and absolutely in Descartes (1649), and replaced [[songer]] in this use;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) the noun [[rêve]] (1680) arose with it.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1130 – ''Resver'' “to be delirious”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1240 – “To talk nonsense”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1269–1278 – “To roam for pleasure” in Jean de Meun.^(TLFi)

+ * 1552 – “To muse” in Ronsard.^(TLFi)

+ * 1606 – “To long for” in Régnier.^(TLFi)

+ * 1640 – “To see in a dream” in Corneille.^(TLFi)

+ * 1649 – “To dream in sleep” in Descartes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1680 – The noun ''rêve''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|dream]] (in sleep): ''rêver de qqn''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # To daydream, let one's mind wander: ''rêver au lieu d'écouter''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Rêver de'': to long for: ''rêver de voyages''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # To imagine, invent: ''tu as rêvé ça !'', ''on croit rêver'': it's unbelievable.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(dated)'' To be delirious; to talk nonsense: ''vous rêvez !''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rêvasser]]

+ * [[rêve]]

+ * [[rêverie]]

+ * [[rêveur]]

+ * [[rêve]]

+ * [[rêverie]]

+ * [[rêveur]]

+ * [[rêvasser]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[songer]]

+ * [[endêver]]

+ * [[vague]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}