visiter French · revision 17606

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 10th century, Vie de saint Léger|origins=la videō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vi.zi.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''visiter'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|vīsitō|t=to see often; to go to see; to inspect]], in Church Latin also “to try, afflict”, the frequentative of [[m|la|vīsō|t=to go and see]], from [[m|la|videō|t=to see]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873) An inherited form [[m|fro|visder]] (about 1120) is found in religious texts, but did not survive.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with [[pro|visitar]], [[es|visitar]] and [[it|visitare]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Léger'' (late 10th century) uses it of God coming to the help of his servant Léger; the Cambridge Psalter has ''Quel chose est uem … kar tu visitas lui?'', “What is man, that thou visitest him?”^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From 1131 (''Couronnement de Louis'') it took the classical sense of going to see someone out of duty or courtesy, and, from 1160 going to see someone at home; this is now literary in France but common in Belgium, the Middle East and Africa (''il m'a visité hier'').^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) It was used for visiting the sick and poor out of charity (1553), and of a doctor (La Fontaine, 1668).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Since the 13th century (Guillaume de Lorris, about 1240) it has meant going to see places, churches and monuments, the main modern sense.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Inspecting goods, premises and the like is in the 14th century, and wine growers ''visitent'' their wine to watch its development (1728).^(GLLF 1989)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – Of God, in the ''Vie de saint Léger''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1131 – Going to see someone, in the ''Couronnement de Louis''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1240 – Going to see a place, in Guillaume de Lorris.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 14th century – “To inspect”.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1553 – Visiting the sick and poor.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1728 – Checking wine.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|visit|alt=visit]] a place, go round it to see its sights.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To [[m|en|inspect]]: ''visiter les arsenaux''.^(Littré 1873)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To go to see the sick, the poor or prisoners to comfort them; of a doctor, to see a patient at home.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(dated in France, Belgium, Africa, Canada)'' To pay a visit to someone.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(religion)'' Of God, to act on, show himself to someone.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[visitable]]

+ * [[revisiter]]

+ * [[visite]]

+ * [[visiteur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[visitation]]

+ * [[voir]]

+ * [[viser]]

+ * [[la|vīsitō]]

+ * [[en|visit]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}