éclaircissement

Forms

éclaircissement m (plural éclaircissements)^[1] Old French esclarcissement (about 1300); the spelling éclaircissement is found in Paré, about 1560.^[2] Anglo-Norman esclarsissement and Middle French esclaircissement.^[3]

Etymology

It is formed from French éclaircir + -ment, on the stem of the verb's present participle.^[4][5][6][1]

The verb, Old French esclarcir (about 1130), became esclaircir in the 13th century after clair.^[7][6] It comes from Vulgar Latin *exclariciō, a remaking of *exclaricō, itself an intensive of Latin clāricō (“to shine brightly”), which is found in Apuleius and is derived from clārus (“clear, bright”).^[6][7] The FEW files it under the same etymon.^[8][3] Bloch and Wartburg note that the prefix has a strong sense in these words, of bringing something out of darkness into the light.^[7]

Littré compares Old Occitan esclarziment.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 13th century, in Maugis d'Aigremont, in a figurative sense, “light, clarity”.^[4][6]

Semantic evolution

From “light” the word soon passed to “explanation of something obscure”, recorded in a royal ordinance of 1312,^[4][6] or in the customs of Artois about 1300 according to the GLLF.^[2] From this came “information, explanatory note” and the phrase sans (un mot d') éclaircissement “without any explanation”.^[6]

In the classical period an éclaircissement was also an explanation demanded of someone for words or behaviour felt to be offensive (Racine, 1669),^[2] and Littré records un homme à éclaircissement for a quarrelsome man always ready to demand one, a duellist.^[9] The sense survives in exiger des éclaircissements, asking someone to account for their conduct.^[6][10]

The concrete sense “action of making clearer” is recorded by Furetière in 1690, of the eyesight,^[4][6] and the word followed the uses of éclaircir for a clearing sky, a lightened colour and the thinning of a wood.^[4][6]

Timeline

• 13th century – Maugis d'Aigremont uses it for “light, clarity”.^[4]
• c. 1300 – Esclarcissement in the customs of Artois.^[2]
• 1312 – The sense “explanation of something obscure” in a royal ordinance.^[4][6]
• c. 1560 – Ambroise Paré writes eclaircissement.^[2][9]
• 1669 – Racine uses it for an explanation demanded about offensive words.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the concrete sense, l'esclaircissement de la veuë.^[4][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. An explanation of something obscure or doubtful; an explanatory note, a piece of information.^[10][11][4] Le guide nous a donné quelques éclaircissements sur l'histoire du château.^[10]
2. An explanation demanded of someone about their conduct or words, a clarification: demander des éclaircissements.^[10][11][9]
3. The action of making something lighter or clearer: of the sky, a colour, a painting.^[4][11]
4. (forestry, dated) The thinning of a wood; éclaircie.^[9][4]
5. (taxation) A clarification the tax authorities may ask of a taxpayer to explain anomalies in their finances.^[11]

Related words

• éclaircir
• éclaircie
• clair

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 276b
9. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)