affection

Forms

affection f (plural affections)^[1] Middle French also affettion (Oresme).^[2] Anglo-Norman affeccion, affectioun.^[3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin affectiō (“change, disposition of the mind”), formed on the supine of afficiō (“to influence, affect”).^[4][5][6][7] In Classical Latin the noun meant a disposition of the mind produced by an outside influence; the sense of attachment developed in Imperial Latin (Pliny, Tacitus, Quintilian) and was very common in Christian Latin.^[4][5] The verb is from ad- and faciō (“to do, make”).^[2] Littré compares Spanish afección and Italian affezione.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the French Sermons of Saint Bernard (late 12th century; 1190 in the DHLF and Robert) it means the movement of the soul towards someone: de devotion, de deleyt et d'affection.^[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word meant both feeling or emotion in general and tender attachment; its modern shades were set in the Renaissance (Rabelais, 1546), and the TLFi dates the sense of friendship for a person to Saint François de Sales (1609).^[5][4] In Middle French it also meant ardour or desire, a sense that lasted until the 18th century.^[5] The general sense survives in learned use, as in les affections de l'âme.^[5][2]

The medical sense “disease, morbid condition” (Canappe, 1539) goes back to the Latin idea of a change undergone, and matches the medical uses of affecter.^[4][5]

Timeline

• 1190 – The Sermons of Saint Bernard use it for the soul's movement towards someone.^[5][4]
• 14th century – Oresme writes affettion d'amour ou de haine.^[2]
• 1539 – Canappe uses it for a physical disorder.^[4][5]
• 1546 – Rabelais's use shows the modern sense of tender attachment.^[5][8]
• 1609 – François de Sales uses it for friendship towards a person.^[4][9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A tender feeling that attaches one person to another, fondness: il a beaucoup d'affection pour sa nièce.^[10][8][11]
2. Prendre quelqu'un en affection: to grow fond of someone.^[10]
3. (literary, psychology) An affective state, a feeling or emotion.^[10][8]
4. (medicine) A disease or disorder, considered in its present signs: une affection pulmonaire.^[10][8][11]

Word family

• affectionner
• affectionné
• désaffection

Related words

• affectueux
• affecter
• affectif
• affect
• Latin affectiō
• English affection

Usage notes

In medicine affection (any disorder) is distinguished from infection (the growth of microbes).^[11] The TLFi lists a separate, archaic affection meaning “affectation”, connected with affecter “to feign”.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 247a
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)