critiquer

Forms

critiquer^[1]

Etymology

The verb in use today is formed from French critique + -er, from the noun meaning “criticism, critic”, and is recorded from 1611.^[2][3][4][1] An earlier medical verb of the same spelling, meaning “(of an illness) to reach its final phase”, used by Rabelais in 1546, was made from the adjective of the same spelling, “critical (of a phase of an illness)”; it is hardly recorded after 1611, pushed out by the newer verb.^[2][3][4]

The noun was borrowed in 1580 from Latin criticus (“critic”), itself from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “able to judge”), from κρίνω (krínō, “to judge”).^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The medical verb appears in Rabelais's Tiers Livre (1546) of an illness reaching its crisis.^[2][6] The verb from the noun is first recorded by Cotgrave in 1611, meaning “to pass judgement”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Starting from “to pass judgement”, the verb took over the senses of the noun critique, among them “to analyse literary works” (1674, Malebranche).^[3][2] The unfavourable value, “to point out the faults of”, became the usual one, and the analytical literary sense is now dated.^[3][7] It gave the familiar critiqueur “fault-finder” (1589, rare before the 19th century) and the scornful criticailler (before 1908).^[3][2]

Timeline

• 1546 – Rabelais uses the medical critiquer in the Tiers Livre.^[2][3]
• 1589 – The derivative critiqueur is first recorded.^[2][3]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records critiquer “to pass judgement”.^[2][7]
• 1674 – Malebranche uses it for analysing literary works.^[2][3]
• before 1908 – Criticailler is formed from it.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated) To examine a work of art or of the mind so as to bring out its merits and faults.^[8][7]
2. To criticize, to judge unfavourably, to find fault with: critiquer la décision du maire.^[8][9][1]
3. (absolute) To make unfavourable remarks: il ne sait que critiquer.^[7]

Word family

• critiqueur
• criticailler

Related words

• critique
• crise
• critère

References

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