apathie

Forms

apathie f (plural apathies)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin apathīa (1375),^[2][3][4] which is from Ancient Greek ἀπάθεια (apátheia, “insensibility”), from the privative prefix ἀ- (a-) and πάθος (páthos, “what one undergoes, passion”).^[2][3][4][5] It belongs with sympathie and antipathie.^[2] Bloch and Wartburg date it from Rabelais (1546), with an isolated record in the 14th century, and derive it directly from the Greek word.^[6]

Etymonline traces the Greek noun to ἀπαθής (apathḗs, “without feeling”), and the second element to the root Proto-Indo-European *kʷentʰ- (“to suffer”).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1375 R. de Presles used it, as a philosophical term, of the impassivity of the soul and the contempt of emotions taught by the ancient philosophers, especially the Cynics.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

At first the word was used of the ancient philosophers, with the sense of the Greek and Latin words; in the 16th century it widened to “passive insensibility”.^[2] It remained mainly a term of philosophy until the 18th century, and rare before the first half of that century (Saint-Simon).^[2][4][6] It then became pejorative, and in everyday use came to mean a lack of activity and reaction caused by softness, indifference or depression.^[2][8]

The adjective apathique (1643, in philosophy) took its everyday sense at the beginning of the 19th century.^[2] English apathy (about 1600) comes from the French word; at first it named a positive freedom from passion, and the sense “indolence of mind” is recorded by 1733.^[7]

Timeline

• 1375 – R. de Presles uses it as a term of philosophy.^[4][2]
• 1546 – Rabelais uses it.^[6]
• 16th century – Charron's Sagesse speaks of une apathie bestiale des ames basses, “a brutish apathy of base souls”.^[5]
• c. 1600 – English borrows it as apathy.^[7]
• 1601 – First record of the everyday sense, an inability to be moved or to react.^[8]
• 1643 – The adjective apathique appears, in philosophy.^[2]
• 18th century – Saint-Simon's use marks the spread of the word beyond philosophy.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (ancient philosophy) The deliberate insensibility of the soul to passions, held up as the ideal of the Stoic sage.^[8][9][4]
2. An inability to be moved or to react, out of indolence, indifference or depression; apathy.^[8][9][5]
3. (medicine) A weakening of initiative and activity linked to deep indifference.^[8]

Word family

• apathique

Related words

• sympathie
• antipathie
• pathos
• English apathy

References

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