léveil

L'éveil, the French term for awakening, designates the act or state of becoming awake or aware. It refers to physical wakefulness after sleep as well as to a broader sense of awakening of mind, senses, or consciousness. The noun is derived from the verb éveiller, meaning to wake up, which in turn comes from Latin evigilare, meaning to stay awake or rise.

In everyday use, l'éveil describes waking from sleep, the early morning period, or a sensory arousal. Figuratively, it denotes the moment of realization or a shift in awareness, such as moral, social, or intellectual awakening.

In literature, L'Éveil is notably the French title of Kate Chopin's 1899 novel The Awakening, a key work of American realism and feminist literature. The title signals the protagonist's awakening to personal autonomy and social constraints.

In philosophy and spirituality, the concept appears as awakening of perception or enlightenment. In Buddhist and Hindu traditions, terms meaning awakening to truth or liberation are commonly translated as l'éveil or l'illumination; in secular contexts it can describe critical self-awareness or the dawning of new cultural or political understanding.

In psychology and cognitive science, l'éveil can also refer to arousal and attentional readiness, the baseline state that enables perception and action. The word remains versatile in French, spanning everyday language and high culture alike.