essence

Forms

essence f (plural essences)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin essentia (“being, nature of a thing”), a word of philosophical and Church Latin, from esse (“to be”).^[2][3][4][5] As a term of chemistry it comes from the Latin of the alchemists, where the word meant a volatile extract.^[4][6]

Compare Old Occitan essentia, Spanish esencia and Italian essenzia.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi first finds it about 1200 in the Moralités sur Job, in essence de la diviniteit, meaning the nature of something.^[2] The Grand Robert dates it to 1130, the GLLF to about 1170 in the Livre des Rois, and the Anglo-Norman Dictionary to about 1136–65.^[5][6][8]

Semantic evolution

The word was first a term of philosophy and theology, for what makes up the nature of a being, set against accident in the Aristotelian tradition and, in the 20th century, against existence.^[3] Rutebeuf and Jean de Meun use it of the divine nature (une essence et vraie unité of the Trinity).^[7] It soon also meant the set of features that make a thing what it is, hence par essence “by its very nature”; in the 16th century it could mean existence (about 1530), and later the ideal type a person belongs to, as in se croire d'une essence supérieure.^[3]

In alchemy it named the purest substance drawn from a body (1563, Bernard Palissy), and then a fragrant volatile substance extracted from plants (1587).^[3][2][6] By specialisation it was used in 1690 for a species of tree.^[2][3] As an extract it came to name the product of the distillation of petroleum (1864), used from the late 19th century as fuel for engines, hence pompe à essence and panne d'essence.^[3] The TLFi's first essence de pétrole is from 1888.^[2] Essence d'Orient (late 19th century) is the pearly matter from bleak scales used to make imitation pearls.^[3][9]

Timeline

• c. 1200 – Essence de la diviniteit appears in the Moralités sur Job.^[2]
• 13th century – Rutebeuf and Jean de Meun use it of the divine nature.^[7]
• 1563 – Bernard Palissy uses it for an extract of herbs and spices.^[2]
• 1587 – It names a fragrant volatile substance from plants.^[3][6]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “species of tree”.^[2]
• 1864 – It names a product of petroleum distillation.^[3]
• 1888 – Essence de pétrole is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (philosophy) What makes up the nature of a being, as opposed to accident or to existence.^[10][1]
2. The set of features that make a thing what it is;^[10][6] par essence: by its very nature.^[10][6]
3. An essential oil or concentrated extract of a plant, used in perfume or cooking: essence de lavande.^[1][9]
4. Petrol, gasoline: faire le plein d'essence.^[1][9]
5. (forestry) A species of tree: essence forestière.^[2]

Related words

• essentiel
• être
• Latin essentia

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert