dégoûter

Forms

dégoûter^[1] Since the 1990 spelling reform it may also be written dégouter.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French dé- + goût (“taste”) with the verb ending -er.^[3][4][5] The noun is in turn from Latin gustus (“taste”).^[6][7] Littré instead derived the verb from the noun dégoût, but Rey treats that noun as derived from the verb.^[8][5] Wiktionary also cites Old French desgouster (“to put off one's appetite”), from des- and gouster (“to taste”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the past participle desgouté in Jehan de Brie's Le Bon Berger (1379), meaning “having lost one's appetite, listless”, an isolated use.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

After the participle, the reflexive is found in Basselin's Vaux de Vire (“se lasser de”, to grow tired of), which Littré places in the 15th century and the TLFi in the second half of the 16th,^[3][8][5] and the transitive verb in 1538, in Robert Estienne's dictionary, for “to take away someone's appetite” and “to inspire disgust”.^[3][9][6] Montaigne (1580) used it for inspiring aversion and taking away the wish to do something.^[9][8]

The sense of spoiling the appetite is now dated,^[10] and the verb usually means to fill someone with physical or moral revulsion.^[10][2] The jocular si vous n'aimez pas ça, n'en dégoûtez pas les autres dates from 1756.^[5] The present participle dégoûtant “disgusting” is recorded from 1642 (Oudin), and as a noun from 1879 (Huysmans).^[3][6] The noun dégoût appears in the 16th century (Paré) and long competed with dégoûtement.^[6]

Timeline

• 1379 – The participle desgouté “without appetite” is recorded in Jehan de Brie.^[3]
• 15th century – The reflexive appears, according to Rey.^[5]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne records the transitive verb.^[3][9][6]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it for causing aversion.^[9]
• 1642 – Dégoûtant is recorded by Oudin.^[3][6]
• 1790 – Dégoûtant is used for “discouraging” in Le Moniteur.^[3]
• before 1850 – Balzac uses the popular derivative dégoûtation.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To disgust, to fill with physical or moral revulsion: les araignées le dégoûtent, sa malhonnêteté me dégoûte.^[2][10]
2. (dated) To take away someone's appetite.^[10][9]
3. Dégoûter de: to put someone off something, to take away the wish to do it.^[2][8]
4. Se dégoûter de: to grow tired of, to take a dislike to.^[2][8]

Word family

• dégoût
• dégoûtant
• dégoûtation

Related words

• goût
• goûter
• ragoûter

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 342b
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert