ravir French · revision 16915

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1112, Benedeit, Voyage de saint Brendan|origins=la rapio}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʁa.viʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ravir'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*rapiō|alt=*rapīre]], an alteration by change of conjugation of [[la|rapiō|alt=rapere|t=to carry off, seize by force; to plunder]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) Rey compares the Latin verb with [[lt|ap-repiu|t=I seize by force]] and [[sq|rjep|t=I take, I strip]], and calls it of Indo-European origin;^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary traces it through [[itc-pro|*rapjō]] to [[ine-pro|*h₁rep-|t=to snatch]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|rapire]], [[ro|răpi]] and [[ca|rapir]].^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) [[en|rape]] goes back to the same Latin verb.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Benedeit's ''Voyage de saint Brendan'' (about 1112) uses it with the Latin sense “to carry off by force”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Twelfth-century texts speak of birds that ''les altres ravissent'' “seize the others” and of a bear ''à ki sunt raviz si ursetel'' “whose cubs have been taken”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ With a thing as subject it came to mean taking someone from his family, especially by death (about 1450): ''la mort ayant ravi ce petit innocent'', in Molière.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi) From the 12th century the stress moved to the idea of being carried away in spirit: in a mystical sense, “to carry up to heaven” (about 1170), then in a lay sense, “to fill with enthusiasm” (about 1220); ''être ravi en extase'' dates from 1319.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In the 13th century it also took the weaker sense “to give pleasure to”, whence ''à ravir'' (1627 or 1645), first strong, now “wonderfully” (''chanter à ravir'').^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The participle [[ravi]] “delighted” became a formula of politeness, as in ''je suis ravi de faire votre connaissance'' (before 1850).^(DHLF 1992) The violent sense lives on in [[ravisseur]] “kidnapper” (late 12th century, ''ravisor'') and [[ravage]] (14th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1112 – “To carry off by force”, in the ''Voyage de saint Brendan''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1170 – “To carry up to heaven”, in the ''Quatre Livres des Rois''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1220 – “To fill with rapture”, in Gautier de Coinci.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1319 – ''Être ravi en extase''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1450 – “To take (someone) from his family”.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1645 – ''À ravir'', in Scarron.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – Furetière records “to take away from one's loved ones”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(literary)'' To carry off by force, [[m|en|abduct]]; to seize, steal (what belongs to another).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' To take (someone) from those who love him, from life: ''la mort ayant ravi ce petit innocent'' (Molière).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(religion)'' To carry up to heaven, ''être ravi en extase'', to be carried away in [[m|en|ecstasy]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To [[m|en|delight]], enchant, fill with joy.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''À ravir'': wonderfully, admirably: ''chanter à ravir''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ravi]]

+ * [[ravissant]]

+ * [[ravissement]]

+ * [[ravisseur]]

+ * [[ravage]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rapace]]

+ * [[rapide]]

+ * [[rapine]]

+ * [[rapt]]

+ * [[ravine]]

+ * [[la|rapiō]]

+ * [[en|ravish]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}