appétissant

Forms

appétissant (feminine appétissante, masculine plural appétissants, feminine plural appétissantes)^[1]

Etymology

It is from French appétit,^[2][3][4][5] formed by analogy with the present participles of verbs in -ir.^[1] Bloch and Wartburg note that the verb ⟨apeticier⟩ once proposed as its source does not exist in Old French.^[6] The noun is from Latin appetītus (“desire, craving”), from appetō (“to strive after”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded about 1393, in the Ménagier de Paris: Lait de vache est plus appetissant (“cow's milk is more appetizing”).^[2][5][4] The GLLF and the Petit Robert date it to 1398.^[7][3]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word meant “stirring the appetite”, and by extension “looking good to eat”.^[5] Following the general sense of appétit, “desire”, it also came to mean “tempting, attractive”.^[5][7] Familiarly it is said of a fresh, plump young woman, a use Littré already recorded;^[4][3] Voltaire calls Cunégonde fraîche, grasse, appétissante.^[4][3]

Timeline

• About 1393 – First recorded in the Ménagier de Paris.^[2][5]
• 16th century – Des Périers's Contes say that women should eat little of what is trop appetissant.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. appetizing, making one want to eat: une tarte appétissante.^[3][8][7]
2. (figurative) Tempting, attractive.^[3][7]
3. (familiar) Of a woman: fresh-looking and plump, desirable.^[3][4][8]

Related words

• appétit
• appétence
• Latin appetītus

References

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