envers French · revision 16901

+ French has two words spelled ''envers'': the preposition “towards” and the noun “reverse side”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ {{homograph|1|towards}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la verto}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɑ̃.vɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''envers'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The preposition is a compound [[af|fr|en|vers]].^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) [[vers]] “towards” continues [[la|versus|t=turned towards]], first an adverb, from [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ It matches [[pro|enves]] and [[it|inverso]].^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion'' of Clermont (late 10th century) has it for “towards” with movement: ''envers Jesum sos olz torned'' “he turned his eyes towards Jesus”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The spatial and temporal uses have died out.^(DHLF 1992) The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has it for “against”, in a hostile sense, which survives in ''envers et contre tous'' (1532; first ''envers tous et encontre tous'', 1440–1475), words that ended the old oaths of fealty;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''envers et contre tout'' “in spite of every obstacle” is from the 20th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The laws of William the Conqueror (first half of the 12th century) have the neutral sense “with regard to”, now the usual one.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ It also meant “in the eyes of, with” (12th century), as in Corneille (1642), a use since lost, like the adverb “about” (1651).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 10th century – “Towards”, in the ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – “Against”, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1st half of the 12th century – “With regard to”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1532 – ''Envers et contre tous'', in Rabelais.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1642 – “In the eyes of”, in Corneille's ''Polyeucte''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # Towards, with regard to (a person or thing, after a word of feeling or conduct): ''être reconnaissant envers un bienfaiteur'', ''il est bien disposé envers vous''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Envers et contre tous'': in spite of everyone's opposition, ''envers et contre tout'', in spite of all obstacles.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(archaic)'' In the eyes of, with.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ {{homograph|2|reverse side}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1170|origins=la verto}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɑ̃.vɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

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

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[inh|fro|envers|t=on one's back, upside down]], an old adjective used as a noun; the adjective (late 10th century) lasted until the 16th century and continues [[inh|la|inversus|t=turned over]], past participle of [[m|la|invertō|t=to turn over, invert]], from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) [[inverse]] is a learned doublet.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[pro|envers]], both adjective and noun.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The noun is found about 1170; in 1229 it is the wrong side of a fabric, opposite the [[endroit]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''À deux envers'', said of a fabric with two identical sides (13th century), came to mean “two-faced” (18th century).^(DHLF 1992) ''À l'envers'' (about 1380) is “on the wrong side”, then “the wrong way round” (before 1526), “upside down, in disorder” (1538); ''avoir la tête à l'envers'' is in Furetière (1690).^(DHLF 1992) Before 1592 the noun took the sense “the hidden side (of a thing)”, whence ''l'envers vaut l'endroit'' and ''l'envers du décor'' “the seamy side”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Wiktionary derives [[verlan]], the slang that inverts syllables, from ''l'envers''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 10th century – The adjective ''envers'' “on one's back”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1170 – The noun.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1229 – The wrong side of a fabric.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * c. 1380 – ''À l'envers''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * before 1592 – “The hidden side”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1690 – ''Avoir la tête à l'envers'', in Furetière.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|reverse|alt=reverse]] side, wrong side, back (of a fabric, a sheet, a leaf), opposed to ''endroit'': ''l'envers et l'endroit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' The other, hidden side of something: ''l'envers du décor'', the seamy side.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''À l'envers'': inside out, upside down, the wrong way round, ''avoir la tête à l'envers'', to be in a muddle.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[verlan]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[revers]]

+ * [[vers]]

+ * [[inverse]]

+ * [[renverser]]

+ * [[endroit]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}