éternité

Forms

éternité f (plural éternités)^[1] Old French eternitez (subject case).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin aeternitās (“eternity”), first recorded about 1175.^[2][3][1] The Latin noun is derived from aeternus (“eternal”), the source of éternel.^[4][3][5] Cognate with Occitan eternitat, Spanish eternidad and Italian eternità.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1175 Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses eternitez with the sense of the Latin word, what has neither beginning nor end, mostly in a religious context.^[2][3] Littré quotes Brunetto Latini's Trésor (13th century): Devant le commencement n'estoit nul tens, mais sa eternité “before the beginning there was no time, only His eternity”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century the word came to name an unlimited time to come (1646), a duration with a beginning but no end (1647) and, in religious language, the life after death (1648).^[3][5] In secular use it also meant immortal fame from the early 17th century, as in Malherbe.^[3][5]

By hyperbole it also means a very long time, as in de toute éternité “since time immemorial” (1671) and il y a une éternité “ages ago” (18th century).^[3][6]

Timeline

• c. 1175 – Eternitez appears in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[2][3]
• Early 17th century – Used of immortal glory.^[3][5]
• 1646 – Used of an unlimited time to come.^[3]
• 1648 – Used of the life to come.^[3]
• 1671 – De toute éternité is recorded.^[3]
• 18th century – Il y a une éternité “a very long time ago”.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. eternity, a duration without beginning or end, especially in religion: l'éternité de Dieu.^[2][7][5]
2. A duration that has a beginning but no end; in religion, the afterlife.^[7][5][6]
3. Lasting fame, immortality.^[5][7]
4. (by hyperbole) A very long time: il y a une éternité.^[3][7][1]
5. De toute éternité: since time immemorial, from all time.^[6][3]

Related words

• éternel
• éterniser
• Latin aeternus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert