défiant

Forms

défiant (feminine défiante, masculine plural défiants, feminine plural défiantes)^[1]

Etymology

It is the present participle from French défier, in the pronominal use meaning “to distrust”, made into an adjective.^[2][3][4][5] That use was formed after Latin diffīdō (“to distrust”).^[6][7] The verb is formed dé- and fier¹ “to trust”, from Vulgar Latin *fīdō, derived from Latin fīdus (“faithful”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record in the GLLF is from Amyot, in the middle of the 16th century, in the sense “inclined to distrust others”;^[4][8] Littré quotes his homme de sa nature craintif et deffiant “a man fearful and distrustful by nature” from the life of Nicias.^[4][8]

Semantic evolution

In 1638 Rotrou uses it for what expresses distrust, such as a look or attitude, beside its use for a person.^[4] The adjective, like the noun défiance, is common but more formal than its synonyms méfiant and méfiance.^[7] With a complement it means distrustful of someone or something, and défiant de soi is lacking confidence in oneself.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1262 – Se défier “to distrust” is first recorded.^[7]
• mid-16th century – Amyot uses deffiant of a distrustful person.^[4][8]
• 1638 – Rotrou uses it of what shows distrust.^[4]
• 1642 – The synonym méfiant is first recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Inclined to distrust others; méfiant, soupçonneux: un voisin défiant.^[5][9][4]
2. Showing distrust: un coup d'œil défiant.^[4][8]
3. Défiant de soi: lacking self-confidence.^[2]

Related words

• défier
• défiance
• méfiant
• confiant

Usage notes

Défiant does not mean “defiant”: it belongs to se défier “to distrust”, not to défier “to challenge”.^[2][5]

References

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