An exclamation or cheer meaning 'long live' or 'hurrah for,' often used in French phrases like 'Vive la France!'
From French and Latin 'vivere,' meaning 'to live.' The phrase 'vive' became a revolutionary rallying cry during the French Revolution (1789), shortened from the full phrase 'que vive le roi' (long live the king), which was transformed into revolutionary slogans.
The chant 'Vive la Révolution!' became so powerful in France that saying 'Vive le Roi!' during the Revolution could get you executed—language itself became a test of loyalty, with words literally becoming life-or-death markers. Today when someone shouts 'Vive la France!' they're unconsciously echoing centuries of revolutionary fervor and nationalist passion.
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