vers French · revision 16335

+ {{homograph|1|towards}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 980, Passion de Clermont|origins=la vertō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /vɛʁ.z‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vers'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The preposition is [[inh|la|versus|t=turned towards; in the direction of]] (variant “versum”), the past participle of [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]], used in classical Latin as an adverbial particle, usually placed after a noun introduced by a preposition to stress direction.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|14, 312b) Rey relates “vertō” to [[sa|वर्तते|tr=vártate|t=he turns]] and [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰|tr=wairþa|t=I become]].^(DHLF 1992) The preposition is a doublet of the learned [[versus]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|verso]], [[ca|vers]] and [[pro|ves]].^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 980 in the sense “in the direction of”, with a verb of movement.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Without movement it is found in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080), and about 1170 before a person, in the sense “to, up to” (''viens vers moi''), now archaic or regional.^(DHLF 1992) In the early 12th century it took the temporal sense “around, about”, often of a person's age.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ From the ''Chanson de Roland'' to the 17th century it also expressed an attitude towards someone (''être sincère vers quelqu'un''); Vaugelas condemned it in favour of [[envers]], but the use survives in Swiss French.^(DHLF 1992) About 1265 it began to mark the end point of a tendency (''un pas vers la vérité'').^(DHLF 1992) In several French regions, in Belgium and in Switzerland (from 1345) it also means “near, at” (''elle travaille vers Lausanne'').^(DHLF 1992) The compound [[devers]] dates from 1080.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – ''Vers'' of direction.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1080 – Without movement, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1080 – ''Devers''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * Early 12th century – Temporal “around”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1265 – Marking a tendency.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1345 – Regional “near”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 17th century – Vaugelas prefers ''envers'' for an attitude towards someone.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|towards|alt=Towards]], in the direction of: ''se diriger vers la sortie''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Facing, turned towards: ''tourner la tête vers quelqu'un'', ''une façade qui regarde vers le sud''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Towards, of a tendency: ''un premier pas vers la paix''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Around, about (a time): ''vers midi'', ''vers 1900''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(regional, Belgium, Switzerland)'' Near, at: ''Il travaille vers Lausanne.''^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[devers]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|verse}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1138, Gaimar, Estoire des Engleis|origins=la vertō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /vɛʁ.z‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vers''' ''m'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[bor|la|versus|t=furrow; line, row; line of writing; line of verse]], from the past participle of [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]]: it first meant the turning of the plough at the end of a furrow, hence a furrow or line.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|14, 315b) In Old French it often meant a stanza or “laisse” (about 1170), a courtly lyric (1176, after [[pro|vers|t=sung lyric poem]], recorded about 1100 in William IX), a song (about 1180) and a liturgical verse (about 1190); these senses were lost in the 14th and 15th centuries, when words such as “strophe” and “chanson” took them over.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|verso]] and [[pro|vers]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1138–1140 in Gaimar's ''Estoire des Engleis'', meaning a line of measured words forming the rhythmic unit of a poem.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The plural ''vers'' “poetry” is found about 1180 (Thomas, ''Tristan''), and Du Bellay used the singular collectively in 1549.^(TLFi) ''Vers libres'' first meant unrhymed lines (1549), then lines of unequal length and irregular rhyme in one poem (1673, Molière), and finally free verse in the modern sense (1888, Gustave Kahn).^(TLFi) ''Vers blancs'', unrhymed verse in a language that uses rhyme, dates from 1735 (Voltaire).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1138 – A line of verse, in Gaimar.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1170 – “Stanza, laisse”, in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1180 – The plural ''vers'' “poetry”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1549 – ''Vers libres'' “unrhymed lines”, in Du Bellay.^(TLFi)

+ * 1673 – ''Vers libres'' of irregular lines, in Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1735 – ''Vers blancs'' in Voltaire.^(TLFi)

+ * 1888 – ''Vers libre'' in the modern sense, in Gustave Kahn.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A line of [[m|en|verse]]: ''un vers de douze syllabes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # In the plural: verse, [[m|en|poetry]]: ''écrire en vers''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Vers libre'': free verse, ''vers blanc'': blank verse.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[verset]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[verser]]

+ * [[envers]]

+ * [[versus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}