ennui

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɑ̃.nɥi/^[1]

Forms

ennui m (countable and uncountable, plural ennuis)^[1] Old French and Anglo-Norman enui, anui, anoi.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French enui, a back-formation from the verb enuier, modern ennuyer.^[4][1][5] The verb is from Late Latin inodiō (“to make hateful”), formed on the classical phrase in odio esse (“to be an object of hatred”), from odium (“hatred”).^[4][6] This explanation, given by Diez, replaced the older derivation from Latin noxa (“harm”), whose forms would rather have given noise;^[2] Littré supports it with the same phrase in Old Venetian.^[2]

Cognate with Old Occitan enueg, Spanish enojo, Portuguese enojo and Italian noia.^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is in the Oxford Psalter, in the first half of the 12th century: Sermeilla la meie aneme pur ennui “my soul slumbered for heaviness”, translating Latin prae taedio; the sense was deep sorrow or disgust.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Until the classical period ennui was a strong word: deep sorrow, disgust (ennui de vie about 1330) and, from about 1130–40, torment, violent vexation; this is still its dominant sense in Racine's tragedies.^[7][4] Since Old French it has also meant, in a weaker sense, the weariness caused by idleness or a dull occupation (13th century) and, from the 17th century, a lack of taste for things, a vague melancholy, as in Pascal (1658).^[7][4][8] The Romantics made it the name of a moral malaise, the mal du siècle.^[9] In the plural, des ennuis are troubles, annoyances: avoir des ennuis avec la justice.^[8][10]

Timeline

• c. 1120–1150 – Ennui “deep sorrow” appears in the Oxford Psalter.^[4][7]
• 1130–40 – Wace uses grant enui for a torment.^[4]
• 13th century – The weaker sense of weariness appears.^[7][8]
• c. 1330 – Ennui de vie “weariness of life” is recorded.^[7]
• 1658 – Pascal uses it for listlessness, lack of pleasure in anything.^[4][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (dated or literary) Deep sorrow, great distress.^[8][9]
2. A trouble or annoyance; a difficulty: avoir des ennuis, des ennuis mécaniques.^[8][10]
3. Boredom, the weariness caused by idleness or a monotonous occupation.^[8][11]
4. (literary) Vague melancholy, a moral weariness that takes pleasure in nothing; ennui.^[11][9]
5. (regional) Homesickness, longing for someone or something.^[4]

Word family

• désennuyer

Related words

• ennuyer
• ennuyeux
• odieux
• Latin odium
• English ennui
• English annoy

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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 c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)