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bête

Etymology and origin of the French word bête

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (beste)
Inherited from
Old French beste
Ultimate origin
Latin (bēstia)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /bɛt/[1]
  • IPA: /bɛːt/[1]

Forms

bête f (plural bêtes)[1] Long written beste.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French beste, from Latin bēstia (“animal, beast”).[2][3][1][4] The Latin word, of unknown origin, was the popular word for any animal; the regular popular development “bīstia” gave biche, and the classical form was kept, probably through “*bestie” according to Rey and the Grand Robert, or through a popular “*besta” according to the GLLF and Guiraud.[2][3][5] Wiktionary thinks Old French “beste” was probably partly borrowed from classical Latin.[1]

Cognate with Romanian bestie, Italian bestia, Occitan bestia, Spanish bestia and Portuguese besta.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has beste for a horse and for wild beasts: Que n'i adeist ne beste ne lion, “that neither beast nor lion come near”.[7][3]

Semantic evolution

As the general word for any animal except man, it covers domestic livestock (les bêtes, compare bétail), dangerous wild animals, game, small creatures and imaginary monsters (la bête du Gévaudan); it is more popular and affective than animal.[2] From 1160–70 it was used for the instinctive, unreasoning side of man, as in Pascal's qui veut faire l'ange fait la bête.[2][6] Chercher la petite bête “to nitpick” is in Barbey d'Aurevilly, and bête noire is a pet hate.[2][1]

The adjective bête “stupid” comes from this sense, pas si bête! is found from 1793.[8] In Quebec it also means grumpy.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Beste, Chanson de Roland.[7]
  • 1160–70 – The animal side of man.[2]
  • 1793 – Pas si bête!.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A beast, animal (other than a human): bête sauvage, bête de somme, bête à cornes.[6][5]
  2. Les bêtes: livestock.[2]
  3. A small creature, insect: bête à bon Dieu, ladybird.[2][1]
  4. (figurative) The animal nature in man; a brute.[2][6]
  5. (familiar) A fool: grosse bête, faire la bête, to play dumb.[1][6]
  6. In phrases: bête noire (pet hate), chercher la petite bête (to nitpick), bête de scène (a born performer).[1][2]

Adjective

  1. stupid, foolish: bête comme ses pieds.[1][6]
  2. Silly, regrettable: c'est bête, j'ai oublié.[1]
  3. (Quebec, familiar) Grumpy, nasty.[1]

Word family

  • bêtise
  • bêtement
  • bêta
  • bébête
  • abêtir
  • embêter
  • bêtifier
  • pense-bête
  • bêtisier
  • abêtifier
  • bestiaire
  • bestial
  • bestiau
  • bestiole
  • biche
  • bétail
  • Latin bēstia

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 340b
  5. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
Cite this entry

“Bête.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/b%C3%AAte. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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