défiance

Forms

défiance f (plural défiances)^[1] Old French desfiance, also deffiance.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French défier + -ance.^[4][5][6] The Old French sense, a challenge, goes with the verb in the sense of challenging, and the modern sense, mistrust, with its pronominal use for distrusting.^[4][5] The verb is from French fier¹ (“to trust”) with the prefix dé-, and the TLFi thinks the “distrust” sense was probably influenced by Latin diffīdō (“to distrust”).^[4]

Cognate with Old Occitan desfiansa and Italian disfidanza and diffidenza.^[2] English defiance was borrowed around 1300 from Old French desfiance “challenge, declaration of war”.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Chrétien de Troyes's Érec et Énide (1170) it means a challenge to combat.^[4] The GLLF finds it earlier, about 1130, in the Eneas.^[8]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the defiance was a formal challenge or declaration of hostility, sent to an enemy by witnesses who could testify to it, as Beaumanoir prescribes.^[2][3] Littré notes that this sense lived on in English.^[2] The sense “challenge” lasted into the 16th century.^[4]

The modern sense, the feeling of one who distrusts, appears in Rabelais's Pantagruel (1532), and Robert Estienne records it in 1538.^[4][8] In politics a vote de défiance expresses disapproval of someone's action.^[8][6]

Timeline

• 1170 – Chrétien de Troyes uses it for a challenge to combat.^[4]
• c. 1300 – English defiance is borrowed from Old French.^[7]
• 1532 – Rabelais uses it for mistrust.^[4]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne records the modern sense.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Mistrust, distrust, the fear of being deceived: inspirer de la défiance, mettre en défiance.^[9][6][4]
2. Défiance de soi-même: lack of confidence in oneself.^[2]
3. Disapproval of someone's action: vote de défiance.^[6][8][9]
4. (obsolete) A challenge to combat.^[4][2]

Related words

• défier
• méfiance
• confiance
• English defiance

Usage notes

The proverb la défiance est mère de sûreté (“distrust is the mother of safety”) is recorded by Littré.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert