vitesse French · revision 16903

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1165, Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Roman de Troie}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vi.tɛs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vitesse''' ''f'' (plural vitesses)^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Vistece'' (about 1165), ''vistesse'' (1538); ''vîtesse'' in the Académie dictionary of 1740 and 1762, ''vitesse'' from 1798.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|vite|-esse]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) [[vite]], first “viste” (about 1160), was an adjective until the 17th century;^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Bloch and Wartburg reject a participle [[la-vul|*vīsitus|t=looked at closely]], from [[m|la|vīsō|t=to look at closely]], and take it from an onomatopoeia imitating a sudden, quick movement, like [[roa-oit|visto]] and [[it|vispo]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Benoît de Sainte-Maure (about 1165) uses ''vistece'' for agility, skill: ''ci parisse vostre vitesce, vostre valur, vostre proesce''.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Robert Estienne (1538) has ''vistesse'' for covering much ground in little time, and his grammar (1557) prefers ''il court de vistesse'' to ''il court vistement''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) François de Sales (1616) uses it for doing something in little time, ''de vistesse'' “quickly”.^(TLFi) Richelet (1680) has the physical sense, distance covered per unit of time: the speed of a falling body increases through the earth's attraction.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Gagner quelqu'un de vitesse'' is in the Académie dictionary of 1762.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ With the motor car it named each of the gear ratios (''changement de vitesse'', 1896, ''quatre vitesses'', 1905).^(TLFi) The railways' ''grande vitesse'' for express goods is from 1876.^(BHVF) Modern phrases include ''en vitesse'' “quickly”, ''à toute vitesse'' “at full speed” and ''en perte de vitesse'' “losing momentum”.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1165 – ''Vistece'' “agility”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Vistesse'' “speed”, in Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – The form ''vitesse'', in Amyot.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1616 – ''De vistesse'' “quickly”, in François de Sales.^(TLFi)

+ * 1680 – Speed in physics, in Richelet.^(TLFi)

+ * 1798 – The Académie adopts the spelling ''vitesse''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1896 – ''Changement de vitesse'' in a motor car.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|speed|alt=Speed]], swiftness: ''à toute vitesse'', ''course de vitesse'', a sprint, ''excès de vitesse'', speeding.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Quickness in doing something: ''en vitesse'', quickly, ''gagner quelqu'un de vitesse'', to outstrip someone.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(physics)'' [[m|en|velocity|alt=Velocity]], the distance covered per unit of time: ''vitesse de la lumière''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(motoring)'' A [[m|en|gear]]: ''passer les vitesses'', ''boîte de vitesses''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''En perte de vitesse'': losing momentum or popularity.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vite]]

+ * [[vitement]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}