dissimuler

Forms

dissimuler^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dissimulō (“to hide, conceal”), borrowed at the end of the 13th century.^[2][3][4] The Latin verb is formed from dis- and simulō (“to make like, feign”),^[3][4][5] itself from similis (“like, resembling”).^[5] Rey gives the Latin senses as “to hide”, “to keep apart” and “to keep occupied”.^[3] Bloch and Wartburg date the French verb to the 14th century, in Oresme.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded at the end of the 13th century in an Old French translation of Ovid's Remedia amoris, used without an object for “to hide one's intentions, keep them secret”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The transitive use, “to hide something”, follows in 1350 in the poems of Gilles li Muisis and soon became the main one.^[2][3] The Grand Larousse dates the senses “to keep out of sight” and “not to let one's feelings show” to Bersuire (about 1355) and Froissart (about 1360).^[5] In the 15th century Christine de Pizan reports the saying that dissembling was a branch of treason.^[7]

The past participle dissimulé became an adjective for a secretive, deceitful person in Montaigne (1580).^[2][3] The reflexive se dissimuler “to hide oneself” is only recorded from 1864.^[3][8] The related nouns were borrowed separately from Latin: dissimulation in 1190 and dissimulateur in 1481.^[3]

Timeline

• Late 13th century – First record, in a translation of Ovid, in the sense “to keep one's intentions secret”.^[2][3]
• 1350 – First transitive use, in Gilles li Muisis.^[2]
• c. 1355 – Bersuire uses it for hiding things from view.^[5]
• 1536 – The derivative dissimulable is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses dissimulé of a deceitful person.^[2][3]
• 1835 – The Académie records the sense “to pretend not to notice”.^[5]
• 1864 – The reflexive se dissimuler is first recorded.^[3][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To conceal or not let show (one's thoughts, feelings or knowledge), or to give a false idea of them: dissimuler sa colère.^[8][7]
2. (absolute) To dissemble, to hide one's real intentions.^[8][2]
3. To hide (a thing or person) from sight, or make it less noticeable: un rideau dissimulait la fenêtre.^[8][2]
4. Se dissimuler: to hide oneself, to keep out of sight.^[8][1]
5. Se dissimuler quelque chose: to refuse to see or admit it to oneself.^[8][7]

Related words

• dissimulateur
• dissimulation
• simuler

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert