aventure French · revision 16775

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050 (adventure)|origins=la adveniō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a.vɑ̃.tyʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aventure''' ''f'' (plural aventures)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''adventure'' (11th century).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*adventūra|t=things that are to happen]], a neuter plural taken as a feminine singular noun,^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|24, 194b)^(Wiktionary) from the future participle of [[m|la|adveniō|t=to arrive, happen]] (see [[advenir]] and [[avenir]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873) Rey describes it as a borrowing from spoken Latin, the others as inherited.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[pro|aventura]], [[es|aventura]] and [[it|avventura]]; [[de|Abenteuer]] comes from French.^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rey dates it to 1050, first meaning “fate, destiny”, close to ''avenir''; the ''Laws of William the Conqueror'' have ''per aventure'' “by chance”: ''Si alcuns crieve l'oil a l'altre per aventure''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It also meant “chance” (early 12th century) and “danger”, of which ''la bonne aventure'', the telling of fortunes, survives (15th century); classical French still used ''bonne'' and ''mauvaise aventure'' for one's lot.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Very early it took the nuance “unexpected event” (late 11th century), with ''par aventure'' (Chrétien de Troyes) and ''d'aventure'' (about 1395), already archaic at the end of the 17th century, Littré notes that ''par aventure'' was later revived.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ The modern sense, an extraordinary undertaking full of danger and discovery, came with the romances of chivalry (Marie de France's ''Lais'', second half of the 12th century); the modern imagination linked it to travel and exploration.^(DHLF 1992) ''À l'aventure'' (1306) replaced ''en aventure''.^(DHLF 1992) In the classical language it also meant a love affair.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) ''Grosse aventure'' “risky profit” (about 1530) was long a term of maritime law, and in African French ''les aventures'' are comic strips.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – “Fate”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Late 11th century – “Unexpected event”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 12th century – [[aventurer]], [[aventureux]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * Second half of the 12th century – A knightly adventure, Marie de France.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1306 – ''À l'aventure''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – ''La bonne aventure''; [[aventurier]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1530 – ''Grosse aventure'' in maritime law.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|adventure]], an unexpected or surprising event: ''une fâcheuse aventure'', ''il lui est arrivé toutes sortes d'aventures''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An undertaking full of risk and novelty, ''l'aventure'', adventure.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A [[m|en|venture]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # A love [[m|en|affair]].^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Dire la bonne aventure'': to tell fortunes, ''diseuse de bonne aventure'', fortune-teller.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''À l'aventure'': at random, aimlessly, ''(literary)'' ''d'aventure'', ''par aventure'', by chance.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(old)'' Fate, one's lot.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aventurer]]

+ * [[aventureux]]

+ * [[aventurier]]

+ * [[aventurine]]

+ * [[mésaventure]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[avenir]]

+ * [[advenir]]

+ * [[venir]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}