célèbre

Forms

célèbre (plural célèbres)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin celeber (“much frequented, crowded; renowned”).^{[2][3][4][5][1]} The Latin adjective was used above all of a place much visited and of a feast drawing a large crowd, and through the verb celebrō (“to visit in crowds, celebrate”) it came to mean “famous, praised”, mostly in poetry.^[3][2][4] Its formation recalls that of fūnebris, the source of funèbre.^[3]

Compare Italian celebre.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rabelais is the first to use it, in Pantagruel (1532), with the sense “whose name is praised everywhere”.^[2][5] The DHLF notes that this modern sense came into real use only in the 17th century.^[3]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century it also meant “solemn, done with pomp, sumptuous” (Rabelais, 1546), of a feast in particular.^[2][7] This sense declined after the 17th century and was still listed by the Dictionnaire de Trévoux in 1771;^[3][8] Molière still has le célèbre mépris qu'elle fait de l'amour “her striking scorn of love”.^[3][8]

The modern sense “very well known” is established from 1636, sometimes in a bad sense, as in tristement célèbre.^[8][3] The only direct derivative is célébrissime, a 20th-century word used ironically or familiarly.^[3]

Timeline

• 1532 – Rabelais uses it in Pantagruel.^[2][5]
• 1546 – Rabelais uses it for “sumptuous”.^[2]
• 1636 – The modern sense “very well known” is established.^[8][3]
• 1771 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux still lists the sense “solemn”.^[3]
• 20th century – The derivative célébrissime appears.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Famous, widely known: une chanteuse célèbre;^[8][9][10] célèbre par or pour something.^[8][9][10]
2. Tristement célèbre: notorious.^[8][3]
3. (obsolete) Solemn, done with pomp and splendour.^[8][10][2]

Word family

• célébrissime

Related words

• célébrer
• célébration
• célébrité
• Latin celeber

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse