Etymologically
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con

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:03. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kɔ̃/[1]

Forms

con m (plural cons, feminine conne)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin cunnus (“female genitals”), a word found in the satirists and in graffiti.[2][3][4][5] Rey calls its origin obscure and compares Ancient Greek κύσθος (kústhos) and Persian کون (kun), and perhaps cūlus (whence cul); Wiktionary thinks it probably Indo-European.[3][1]

The sense “fool” is probably a remaking of conard, according to the TLFi and the FEW, Rey also thinks of comparisons disparaging virility (“faire quelque chose comme un con”, late 18th century).[2][6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the Roman de Renart (about 1195–1200), for the female genitals.[2][3] The Anglo-Norman dictionary has it from 1160–74.[7]

Semantic evolution

From the 12th to the mid-17th century the word was common in free prose and verse, with many derivatives and puns on the syllable con-, Béroalde de Verville's Moyen de parvenir (1610) plays on connaut, connasse and connin.[3] It then became rare until the second half of the 19th century, often disguised as noc.[3]

The figurative sense “idiot” appears as a noun in 1790 and as an adjective about 1830 (Mérimée to Stendhal, 1831); conne is recorded in 1872.[8][2][3] It gave a rich phraseology: con comme la lune, à la con.[3] In southern France, especially around Marseille, it is a familiar form of address or an interjection with no insult (oh con!).[3]

Timeline

  • 1160–74 – Anglo-Norman con.[7]
  • c. 1195–1200 – Roman de Renart.[2]
  • 1610 – Béroalde de Verville's wordplay.[3]
  • 1790 – Con “idiot”, as a noun.[8]
  • 1831 – The adjective, Mérimée.[2][9]
  • 1845 – Connerie, Flaubert.[3]
  • 1872 – Conne.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (vulgar) The female genitals.[10][1]
  2. (vulgar) An idiot, a stupid person (feminine conne): quel con!.[10][1]
  3. (southern France) A familiar form of address or exclamation, not insulting.[3]

Adjective

  1. (vulgar) Stupid, (of things) ridiculous, absurd: c'est trop con, con comme la lune.[10][3]

Word family

Usage notes

An unrelated con is the Italian preposition “with” in musical directions (con brio, con anima).[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1540b
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1541a
  7. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert