volonté French · revision 16683

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vɔ.lɔ̃.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''volonté''' ''f'' (plural volontés)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''voluntez'' (about 980), ''volenté'' (from about 1130, the usual form until the 16th century); ''volonté'' from about 1360 (Froissart), general from Nicot (1606).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[la|voluntās|alt=voluntātem|t=will, wish; goodwill; last will]],^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|14, 615a)^(Wiktionary) from [[m|la|volō|t=I want]] (see [[vouloir]]).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873) The usual Old French form was [[m|fro|volenté]]; the modern form is a remaking after the Latin word.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) Rey treats the word as a borrowing.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[it|volontà]], [[pro|voluntat]], [[es|voluntad]] and [[pt|vontade]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion'' of Clermont (late 10th century) has the plural for passions and desires: ''Fraindre devem noz voluntez'' “we must break our wills”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From ''faire sa volonté'' “to follow one's whims” (Wace, 1160–74) come ''faire ses volontés'' and, much later, ''faire les quatre volontés de quelqu'un'' (1904).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has ''bone volentet'' “readiness to do good”, ''bonne volonté'' is recorded in 1380 and ''mauvaise volonté'' in 1651.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The divine will appears in the same text, and Maurice de Sully's sermons (about 1190) translate the Lord's Prayer as ''soit faite la toie volentés''.^(TLFi) ''À volonté'' “at will” dates from about 1290, ''darraine volunté'' “last will” from 1275 and ''dernières volontés'' from 1701.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ As a faculty of the mind, the word is used by Montaigne (1580: ''resoluë volonté'') and Pascal, who sets ''l'entendement et la volonté'' side by side (1657–58); Montaigne also speaks of ''la volonté du peuple Romain'' (1588), and Ribot's ''Maladies de la volonté'' (1893) is a work of psychology.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Voluntez'' “desires”, ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – ''Bone volentet'', ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160–74 – ''Faire ses voluntez'', Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1275 – ''Darraine volunté'' “last will”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1290 – ''À volonté''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1360 – The form ''volonté'', Froissart.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1580 – Moral energy, Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1701 – ''Dernières volontés''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1904 – ''Faire les quatre volontés de quelqu'un''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|will]], what someone wants: ''contre sa volonté'', ''que ta volonté soit faite''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The faculty of willing; [[m|en|willpower]], determination: ''avoir de la volonté''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Bonne volonté'', ''mauvaise volonté'': goodwill, readiness or unwillingness to act.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Dernières volontés'': a person's last wishes.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''À volonté'': at will, as much as one likes, ''feu à volonté !'', fire at will!^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Faire les quatre volontés de quelqu'un'': to give in to all someone's whims.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[volontaire]]

+ * [[volontiers]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vouloir]]

+ * [[volontariat]]

+ * [[volition]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}