désappointement

Forms

désappointement m (plural désappointements)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French désappointer + -ment, the verb in its old sense “to dismiss from office”.^[2][3][4] The modern sense “disappointment” is a borrowing of meaning (1783) from English disappointment, recorded in English since 1694 and formed on disappoint, a verb which English had itself taken from French.^[2][5] Rey describes how French, after the English model, rebuilt a parallel series of verb, noun and adjective, the last being désappointant, a calque of disappointing.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Before 1473 Jean Juvénal des Ursins uses desappointement for a dismissal from office: the duke of Berry bore very impatiently son desappointement du dit gouvernement, his removal from that government.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

In Middle French and still in the 16th century the word meant removal from a post, especially striking a soldier or officer off the list of those in the king's pay;^[6][4] Pasquier uses it this way.^[6][4] This sense is now obsolete.^[4]

The verb désappointer had already been used in the 17th century for disappointing someone's expectation, but the use lapsed and Voltaire revived it after English to disappoint.^[2] The noun followed: in 1783 the Courrier de l'Europe uses it for the state of a person whose hopes have been let down, the sense taken from English disappointment.^[2][5] It is a rather literary synonym of déception and déconvenue.^[1][7]

Timeline

• c. 1430 – The GLLF dates the sense “dismissal” from a text in Godefroy.^[4]
• before 1473 – Juvénal des Ursins uses desappointement for a dismissal from office.^[2]
• 16th century – Pasquier uses the word in the same sense.^[6]
• 1694 – English disappointment is recorded in the sense of frustrated hope.^[2]
• 1783 – The Courrier de l'Europe uses désappointement in its modern sense, after English.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (literary) The state of someone whose expectations or hopes have been let down; disappointment, déception.^[2][7][1]
2. The feeling itself: elle n'a pas su masquer son désappointement.^[8][9]
3. (obsolete) Removal from office, dismissal of an officer.^[4][6]

Related words

• désappointer
• désappointé
• appointer¹
• English disappointment

Usage notes

It is spelled with one ⟨s⟩ and two ⟨p⟩.^[7]

References

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