congénital

Forms

congénital (feminine congénitale, masculine plural congénitaux, feminine plural congénitales)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin congenitus (“born with”), a learned formation on its stem with the suffix -al.^[2][3][4][1] The Latin adjective is formed from cum (“with”) and genitus (“born”), the past participle of gignō (“to beget”).^[5][4][6]

Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it to 1784; the TLFi's own first record is in Laveaux's dictionary of 1820.^[3][4][7][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1784, as a medical term for a condition present from birth.^[3][4][6]

Semantic evolution

The word first belonged to medicine and biology, for a physical or mental feature that arises before birth and persists or develops through life, as in malformation congénitale.^[2][7][6] By extension it came into common use, often pejoratively, for a trait of character that seems inborn, as in optimisme congénital or bêtise congénitale.^[2][7][5] The TLFi notes that it was sometimes condemned as a needless duplicate of inné.^[2]

The adverb congénitalement is dated 1925 by the TLFi but 1852 by the Petit Robert;^[2][7] congénitalité is recorded in 1931.^[2][7]

Timeline

• 1784 – First record.^[3][4][7]
• 1820 – Laveaux's dictionary records it.^[2]
• 1852 – Congénitalement is recorded, according to the Petit Robert.^[7]
• 1931 – Léon Daudet uses congénitalité.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (medicine, biology) congenital, present at birth: une surdité congénitale.^[7][2][6]
2. (figurative, often pejorative) innate, deep-rooted: une paresse congénitale.^[7][2][5]

Word family

• congénitalement
• congénitalité

Related words

• génital
• Latin congenitus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
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 h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert