English
advice
Advice comes from Middle English avys, from Old French avis, rebracketed from ce m’est a vis ‘it seems to me’.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400avis‘opinion’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500avys‘opinion’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1591advice
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400avis‘opinion’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500avys‘opinion’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1591advice
Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona: “How shall I dote on her with more advice,…”
The story
From Middle English avys, from Old French avis, rebracketed from the phrase ce m'est a vis (“I think”, “it seems to me”, literally “it is to my view”), where vis is from Latin vīsus (‘vision, sight’). The unhistoric -d- was introduced during the 15th century due to influence from advise and ad-, see advance. Mostly displaced native Old English rǣd (see modern rede).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, idea, video, provide, review, visit, guide, evidence, interview, witness, wise, wisdom, historic, wit, provision, idol, wizard, invisible, historian, visa, evident, revision, visibility, witty, guise, vista, prudent, steroid, tabloid, revise, revue, envious, jurisprudence, druid, prudence, twit, hypothyroidism, voyeur, purview, 115 more
through Proto-Italic *wissos
through Latin vīsus ‘having been seen’
vision, visual, improvise, visage, 8 more
through Old French vis ‘face’
through Old French avis ‘opinion’
through Middle English avys ‘opinion’
Today it means
noun An opinion offered to guide behavior in an effort to be helpful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French avis / advice