digne

Forms

digne (plural dignes)^[1] Old and Middle French also disne.^[2] Anglo-Norman dingne.^[3]

Etymology

It is an early borrowed from Latin dignus (“fitting, worthy of, deserving”).^{[4][5][6][7][1]} The Latin adjective comes, through a supposed intermediate *decnos, from the impersonal decet (“it is fitting”), the source of décent.^[5][7][8]

Cognate with Occitan digne, Spanish digno and Italian degno.^[2] The Latin noun dignitas gave the popular Old French daintié “delicacy”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis, followed by de, meaning “deserving”: il est dignes d'entrer en paradis (“he is worthy to enter paradise”).^[4][2][5]

Semantic evolution

Used absolutely, it meant “deserving esteem” by about 1240.^[4][5] From 1560–1561 it also expressed agreement or conformity with something or someone (digne de son père).^[4][5] The moral sense “estimable, respectable” was still alive in the 19th century, a favourite word of Auguste Comte, but it was gradually pushed aside by the sense “grave, reserved, of respectable appearance” (1807, Madame de Staël), which is now often ironic.^[5][4]

The derivative dignement is recorded from 1180.^[5] The Anglo-Norman digne passed into Middle English.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – Digne de “deserving” in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[4][5]
• 1180 – Dignement is recorded.^[5]
• c. 1240 – Used absolutely, in La Mort Aymeri.^[4]
• 1560–1561 – Sense “in keeping with” in Grévin.^[4][5]
• 1807 – Madame de Staël uses it for a grave, reserved bearing.^[4][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Digne de: worthy of, deserving something, good or bad: digne de foi, digne d'un châtiment.^[8][4][2]
2. Digne de: in keeping with, worthy of someone or something: digne de son rang.^[8][4]
3. (literary) Honourable, deserving esteem (before the noun): un digne homme.^[9][2]
4. Having or showing dignity, grave and reserved: un air digne.^[8][4]

Word family

• dignement
• dignifier

Related words

• dignité
• indigne
• daigner
• décent
• Latin dignus

Usage notes

Tout homme digne de ce nom is someone who deserves to be called a man.^[8] In the 16th century, Palsgrave says, the word was pronounced dine.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 k l 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 c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse