daigner

Forms

daigner^[1] Old French degnier and deignier.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French deignier, inherited from Late Latin dignō (“to deem worthy”), a Late Latin form that changed the conjugation of Classical dignor.^[5][2][1] The Latin verb meant “to judge worthy” and, followed by an infinitive, “to be willing to”, first in the poets and then in Christian Latin; it is derived from dignus (“worthy”), the source of digne.^[5][2][6] Bloch and Wartburg note that French has used it from the first texts only with an infinitive, a construction of the church Latin of the 4th century.^[3]

Cognate with Italian degnare, Spanish deñar and Old Occitan denhar “to approve”.^[3][7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as degnier in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia (about 881), already followed by an infinitive: Tuit oram que por nos degnet preier “Let us all pray that she deign to pray for us”.^[5][8]

Semantic evolution

From its first records the verb meant “to be willing to, to consent to” and was built with an infinitive.^[2][3] In the classical period the infinitive was sometimes introduced by de.^[9] It belongs to formal or ironic usage and is often negative.^[2][6] In the imperative it became a set formula of politeness at the end of letters to a superior, as in Daignez agréer mes respectueux hommages.^[8][6]

The simple verb has no derivatives of its own; its prefixed dédaigner meant first “to be indignant” (before 1150) and then “to scorn, reject” (1165–1176), the opposite of daigner.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 881 – Degnier with an infinitive appears in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.^[5][2]
• c. 1100 – Vostre olifant soner vous ne deignastes is written in the Chanson de Roland.^[8]
• 12th century – The spelling deignier is recorded.^[2][4]
• 1165–1176 – The prefixed dédaigner takes the sense “to scorn”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To deign or condescend to do something, either for someone thought worthy of it or because the act is not thought beneath oneself: elle n'a pas daigné nous saluer.^[6][5][10]
2. (ironic) To be kind enough to: daignerais-tu m'aider ?^[6]
3. In polite formulas at the end of a letter: daignez agréer…^[6][8]

Related words

• digne
• dignité
• indigne
• Latin dignus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e 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
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)