concevable

Forms

concevable (plural concevables)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French concevoir + -able.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} The verb itself is from Latin concipiō (“to take in, conceive”), a compound of cum (“with”) and capiō (“to seize, contain”).^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found, as an isolated record, in Guillaume Budé's Institution du Prince (1547), where it means “perceptible”.^[2][6][4]

Semantic evolution

After the isolated record of 1547 the adjective was taken up again in 1647, when Corneille used it in Héraclius in its present sense, “that the mind can conceive”.^[2][6][4] The Académie recorded it in 1694 as “that can be understood”, with negative and interrogative examples.^[8]

The negative inconcevable is recorded from 1584 and has become fairly common, weakening from “not conceivable” to “extravagant” or “unacceptable”.^[6] In modern use concevable means both what can be grasped by thought and what can be imagined or accepted, often in the negative and in impersonal constructions.^[9][2]

Timeline

• 1547 – Budé uses it once in the sense “perceptible”.^[2][6]
• 1584 – The negative inconcevable is recorded.^[6]
• 1647 – Corneille's Héraclius has it in the sense “that the mind can conceive”.^[2][4]
• 1694 – The Académie records it as “that can be understood”.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That can be grasped by the mind, conceivable, understandable: une relation à peine concevable.^[2][4][5]
2. That can be imagined or accepted, often in the negative: il n'est pas concevable qu'elle ait menti.^[9][2]
3. Le concevable (noun): what can be conceived.^[4]

Word family

• inconcevable

Related words

• concept
• conception
• Latin concipiō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Académie française (1694), Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise, 1st ed., Paris: Coignard
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert