enfoiré

Forms

enfoiré m (plural enfoirés, feminine enfoirée)^[1]

Etymology

It is from French enfoirer (“to soil with excrement”), of which it is the past participle, used as an adjective and a noun.^[2][3][4] That verb is formed from the prefix en- and foire² “diarrhoea”, with the verb ending ⟨-er⟩.^[2][3][4] That noun comes from Latin foria (“diarrhoea”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb enfoirer “to soil” is recorded once, in a figurative sense, in Cholières in 1587; the participle as a noun meaning “good-for-nothing, idiot” is recorded in 1905 by Gaston Esnault.^[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

In 1936 Céline used the reflexive s'enfoirer with an object in the sense “to burden oneself with something”.^[2][3] The insult, at first very offensive, also has almost friendly uses, and was made popular by the comedian Coluche.^[3] Slang dictionaries also record it for a passive homosexual and as a friendly insult.^[6][7]

Timeline

• 1587 – The verb enfoirer appears in Cholières.^[2][4]
• 1905 – Esnault records enfoiré “good-for-nothing”.^[2][3][4]
• 1919 – Dorgelès uses the plural in Les Croix de bois.^[2]
• 1936 – Céline uses s'enfoirer and the adjective in Mort à crédit.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (vulgar) Soiled with excrement.^[8][9]
2. (vulgar) Stupid, useless.^[2][7]

Noun

1. (vulgar) An idiot, a clumsy oaf.^[8][9][2]
2. (vulgar) A contemptible person, a bastard.^[8][9][1]
3. (familiar) A pal, used as a friendly insult.^[7][6][3]

Related words

• enfoirer
• foire²

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Bob, dictionnaire d'argot, de français familier et populaire, languefrancaise.net/Bob
7. ^ a b c Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert