actif

Forms

actif (feminine active, masculine plural actifs, feminine plural actives)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin āctīvus (“active, practical”),^[2][3][4][5] a learned word, used in philosophy by Seneca as the opposite of contemplātīvus; it was frequent in Christian Latin, as in Gregory the Great, and in Late Latin grammar.^[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg call it a borrowing from philosophical and scholastic Latin which then developed in French under the influence of acte.^[5] The Latin adjective is derived from āctus, from agō (“to do, act”).^[6][4][7]

Cognate with Old Occitan actiu.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1160 in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Chronique des ducs de Normandie, of lay people living in the world, and in vie active “secular, active life” as opposed to the contemplative life.^[2][3][8]

Semantic evolution

This religious sense, opposed to contemplatif or passif, dominated until the 16th century.^[5][8] In 1360 Oresme used actif of a person who is energetic and hard-working; from the 17th century it also meant quick.^[2][3] In grammar, l'actif (14th century) named the active form of the verb, followed by verbe actif in the 15th century.^[2][3]

Dette active, a sum owed to one (1549 in the DHLF, 1576 in Bodin according to the TLFi), led to the noun l'actif “assets”, opposed to passif, recorded in 1762.^[3][2][5] In politics, voix active appears in 1636 and, under the Revolution, citoyen actif for a citizen with the right to vote;^[3] service actif (1835) is the source of armée active and l'active.^[3]

Timeline

• 1160 – Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses actif and vie active of secular life.^[2][3]
• 1360 – Oresme uses it of an energetic, hard-working person.^[2][3]
• 14th century – L'actif names the active form of the verb.^[2][3]
• 15th century – Verbe actif is recorded.^[3]
• 1495 – The adverb activement is recorded.^[3]
• 1549 – Dette active “sum owed to one” appears.^[3]
• 1636 – Voix active is recorded in politics.^[3]
• 1717 – Inactif is recorded.^[5]
• 1762 – The noun l'actif “assets” is recorded.^[2][3][5]
• 1798 – The Académie records citoyen actif.^[3]
• 1835 – Service actif is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Who acts or takes part, or which involves activity: un membre actif du club “an active member of the club”.^[6][2]
2. Who likes to act and work, energetic, busy: une infirmière active “an energetic nurse”.^[6][7][8]
3. Which acts with force, effective: un remède actif, un poison actif.^[6][7]
4. (grammar) active: expressing that the subject performs the action: la voix active.^[6][1]
5. (demography) Population active: the part of a population that is in work or looking for it;^[6][8] vie active, the period of working life.^[6][8]
6. (military) Armée active: the standing army, as opposed to the reserve.^[6][8]
7. (religion) Vie active: the active life, as opposed to the contemplative.^[6][7]
8. (historical) Citoyen actif: a citizen entitled to vote.^[6][3]
9. (finance, dated) Dettes actives: sums owed to one.^[6][2]

Noun

1. (accounting, law) The assets of an estate or business, as opposed to the liabilities: l'actif d'une société “a company's assets”.^[6][1]
2. (grammar) The active voice.^[2][1]
3. A person in work: les actifs et les inactifs.^[6]
4. A person who likes to act.^[6]
5. (sciences) An active ingredient, in a perfume or an experiment.^[1]
6. (slang) The active partner in a male homosexual relationship.^[1][6]

Word family

• activement
• activer
• inactif

Related words

• action
• activité
• agir
• acte
• Latin āctīvus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 p q r s Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse