Etymologically
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dingue

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:30. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɛ̃ɡ/[1]

Forms

dingue (plural dingues)[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] The TLFi takes it as probably a back-formation from French dinguer (“to stagger about; to wander”), and compares an argot word for malaria (1890).[4][1] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert suggest instead dengue, the tropical fever, or the verb; the GLLF derives it from dingo “crazy”, and Wiktionary also mentions divaguer.[2][3][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Esnault records pas dingue in 1915, in soldiers' slang;[4][5] Barbusse has t'es pas dingue, non ? in Le Feu (1916).[4][5]

Semantic evolution

In hospital slang it was said of a mental patient, adjective and noun, as in chez les dingues.[4][2] In general familiar use it means “mad, crazy”, often weakened: un doux dingue is a harmless eccentric.[4][6] It also came to mean “extraordinary, incredible”, of a price, a party or a spectacle, as in c'est dingue ![3][7][6]

Timeline

  • 1890 – Argot la dingue “malaria”.[4]
  • 1915 – Pas dingue, in soldiers' slang.[4]
  • 1916 – In Barbusse's Le Feu.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (familiar) Crazy, nuts: il est complètement dingue.[7][1]
  2. (familiar) Incredible, amazing; excessive: une soirée dingue, des prix dingues, c'est dingue ![7][6]
  3. Dingue de: mad about, crazy about.[4][3]

Noun

  1. (familiar) A lunatic, a nutcase: une maison de dingues, un doux dingue, a harmless eccentric.[6][3]
  • dinguer
  • dingo
  • dinguerie

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  7. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)