élégant

Forms

élégant (feminine élégante, masculine plural élégants, feminine plural élégantes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin ēlegāns (“discerning, refined, in good taste”), borrowed about 1150 but rare before the 15th century.^[2][3][4][5] The TLFi dates its first record to the 14th century.^[6] The Latin word is an old present participle that became an adjective, at first “who knows how to choose”;^[3][4] Rey and the Grand Robert suppose an unattested intensive verb beside legō (“to gather, choose, read”), the source of lire¹.^[3][4] Littré connects it with ēligō (“to choose”), whence élire.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In a 14th-century manuscript of a life of Saint Evroul it describes a building or work of art as tasteful and refined.^[6][3]

Semantic evolution

Keeping the main uses of the Latin word, it first qualified things, then from before 1486 a style or way of speaking, as in Guillaume Alexis's fables elegantes, and so an author.^[6][3][7] The idea of choice lies behind its use of an intellectual solution or demonstration, simple and ingenious at once.^[3][7]

From the 18th century it was used of people, for taste and distinction in dress and then in manner.^[3][9] As a noun, un élégant, une élégante (1771) named a person dressed with distinction or who affected it;^[3][10][2] Bloch and Wartburg note that it was a fashionable word at the end of the 18th century.^[3][10][2]

Timeline

• 1150 – First found, though rare before the 15th century.^[2][3][8]
• 14th century – The Vie de saint Evroul uses it of a tasteful work.^[6]
• Before 1486 – Guillaume Alexis applies it to fables, a style of writing.^[6][7]
• About 1500 – Inélégant is recorded.^[2]
• 1659 – Molière uses it in the sense of graceful in form.^[8]
• 1771 – Un élégant is used as a noun.^[10][3]
• 1814 – Jouy's use of the noun, the TLFi's first record.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. graceful, harmonious and easy in form, line or movement.^[9][6]
2. Of style or speech, polished, pure; of an author, writing in such a style.^[9][7]
3. stylish, smart, dressed or furnished with taste; of a place, frequented by such people.^[9][8]
4. Of a solution or proof, both simple and ingenious.^[7][3]

Noun

1. (dated in the masculine) A person who dresses with distinction, or who affects to.^[9][7]

Word family

• inélégant

Related words

• élégance
• élire
• lire¹
• Latin ēlegāns

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 212b
6. ^ a b c d e f g 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
7. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF