V. NOUNS DERIVED FROM INFINITIVES OF VERBS

are as old as the language itself In the oldest monuments of French, viz. Les Serments de Strasbourg, savir (saz'oir) and podir (pouvoir) occur as nouns. But this source has supplied only a limited number of nouns in French, e.g. —

le devoir, ' duty ' (from devoir, ' to be obliged'); Tctrc, 'the being' [Uom.ctre, 'tobe') ; le pouvoir, power (from /o//îw/r, ' to be able ') ; les vivres, ' victuals ' (from vivre, ' to live').

In some cases the verbs themselves hâve died out, and survive only in verbal nouns in the living language, e.g.—

le loisir, ' leisure' (from O. F. loisir, ' toliave timc,' Lat. licere) ; le plaisir, ' pleasure ' (from O.F. plaisir, ' to please,' Lat.

se repentir

rire

savoir

sourire

baiser

boire

Word- Formation 159

f lacère); l'avenir, ' the future' (froni O.F. avenir, Lat. advenire).

Form nouns froni the Infinitives of the following verbs, and give their meaning in English : —

toucher déjeuner

dîner revoir

goûter se souvenir