voler French · revision 17325

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 9th century, Sequence of Saint Eulalia (volat)|origins=la volō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vɔ.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''voler'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|volō|t=to fly; to go quickly]], keeping both Latin values, movement through the air and speed.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|14, 598b) Rey notes that a link with a Vedic word for “winged” has been suggested but not established.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The sense “to steal” grew out of falconry, from phrases such as “voler la perdrix” “to take the partridge in flight”, said of a falcon or of the hunter; it replaced Old French [[m|fro|rober]] (whence [[dérober]]) and [[m|fro|embler]], from [[la|involō|t=to fly at; to carry off]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary) Littré, who knew the theory that the thieving “voler” came from “involāre”, concluded that it is the same verb as “voler” “to fly”.^(Littré 1873) The Grand Robert and Petit Robert list the sense “to steal” under a separate headword of the same origin.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|volare]], [[oc|volar]], [[ca|volar]], [[es|volar]] and [[pt|voar]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Sequence of Saint Eulalia'' (late 9th century) has ''In figure de colomb volat a ciel'' (“in the form of a dove she flies to heaven”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it is used of things thrown into the air, such as splinters of a lance, and ''faire voler la tête'' “to cut off someone's head” is found about 1130.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) About 1155 it meant “to run very fast” and “to spread”, of fire, then of news (1226); people fly in texts from about 1170, ''voler en éclats'' appears about 1529, and time ''vole'' from about 1384.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In falconry it meant from the 12th century to hunt with birds of prey, as in ''voler la perdrix'' (1165–1170), and of a hawk to hunt in flight (1349).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The sense “to steal” is recorded in 1540 by Robert Estienne (1549 in Bloch and Wartburg).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Académie recorded ''voler de ses propres ailes'' “to stand on one's own feet” in 1694, and Stendhal has ''on eût entendu voler une mouche'' (1836).^(TLFi) Climbers use it for a fall (1900).^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 9th century – ''Volat'' in the ''Sequence of Saint Eulalia''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – Of things flying through the air, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1165–1170 – ''Voler la perdrix'', in falconry.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1226 – Of news spreading.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1529 – ''Voler en éclats''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1540 – “To steal”, in Robert Estienne.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1694 – ''Voler de ses propres ailes''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1836 – ''On eût entendu voler une mouche'' in Stendhal.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|fly]]: ''la plupart des oiseaux volent''.^(Le Robert)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To fly through the air, be thrown: ''voler en éclats''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To rush: ''voler au secours de quelqu'un''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(falconry)'' To hunt, fly at (game).^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # To [[m|en|steal]]: ''voler une montre à quelqu'un''; to rob: ''voler quelqu'un''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(mountaineering)'' To fall.^(BHVF)

+ # ''Voler de ses propres ailes'': to stand on one's own feet, ''on entendrait voler une mouche'': you could hear a pin drop.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[revoler]]

+ * [[survoler]]

+ * [[vol]]

+ * [[volant]]

+ * [[voleur]]

+ * [[volière]]

+ * [[vole]]

+ * [[volée]]

+ * [[volerie]]

+ * [[volet]]

+ * [[voleter]]

+ * [[volige]]

+ * [[envoler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[volaille]]

+ * [[dérober]]

+ * [[la|volō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}