austérité

Forms

austérité f (plural austérités)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin austēritās (“harshness, sourness”), first recorded in the 13th century.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin noun is derived from austērus (“harsh, severe”), the source of austère.^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The GLLF's first record is a 13th-century French Apocalypse.^[3] A 14th-century text quoted by Du Cange and Littré uses austerité for violence or harshness: la grant austerité du dit Pionnier (“the great harshness of the said Pionnier”).^[6]

Semantic evolution

The concrete Latin sense, harshness of taste, is found in Nicot (1606) but was hardly used, although austère was then current for a harsh taste.^[2] The word specialized in religion, also in a concrete use, une austérité, des austérités, for acts of mortification (1671), and then followed the adjective in describing a severe moral attitude and a plain, unadorned appearance.^[2][7]

In the 20th century it became an economic term for a policy that restricts consumption; the TLFi quotes a 1952 report of mesure d'austérité in Britain.^[7][3][8] The English word austerity, from Old French and Late Latin, is recorded from the mid-14th century.^[9]

Timeline

• 13th century – First recorded, in an Apocalypse.^[3][2]
• 14th century – A text quoted by Du Cange uses it for violence or harshness.^[6]
• Mid-14th century – English borrows it as austerity.^[9]
• 1606 – Nicot records the concrete sense “harshness of taste”.^[2]
• 1671 – Used for acts of mortification.^[2]
• 1952 – A newspaper quoted by the TLFi speaks of an austerity measure in Britain.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Severity and rigour in one's way of life and morals, austerity: l'austérité de la vie au couvent.^[10][7][8]
2. Severe plainness or simplicity of a thing, a building or a style.^[10][3][7]
3. (literary, usually plural) Austere practices, mortifications.^[10][7][6]
4. (economics) Strict economic management restricting consumption: politique d'austérité.^[11][3][8]
5. (obsolete) Astringency, harshness of taste.^[7]

Related words

• austère
• austèrement
• Latin austērus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 1067b
6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f g 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
8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)