exorciste

Forms

exorciste m or f by sense (plural exorcistes)^[1] Old French essorciste;^[2] Anglo-Norman exorcistre.^[3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin exorcista (“exorcist”), itself from Ancient Greek ἐξορκιστής (exorkistḗs), of the same meaning.^[2][1][4][5] The Greek noun comes from ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to adjure, exorcise”), the source of exorciser.^[6][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is essorciste in Péan Gatineau's life of Saint Martin (about 1225), a religious term.^[2][5] The Anglo-Norman Dictionary has it earlier, from about 1136–1165, for a cleric of the third of the four minor orders, who could cast out evil spirits but was not yet a priest.^[3]

Semantic evolution

At first the word was only masculine and only a term of the Church, for the cleric of that minor order.^[5][6] Calvin lists exorcistes among the seven orders of the Church in his Institution.^[4] From 1672 it also meant anyone who drives out demons, in the sense of exorciseur.^[5][6] At the end of the 19th century Léon Bloy used it figuratively, of either gender.^[5] The office itself was named exorcistat in the mid-20th century.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1136–1165 – Earliest Anglo-Norman record, for a cleric of a minor order.^[3]
• c. 1225 – Essorciste in Péan Gatineau's life of Saint Martin.^[2][5]
• 1488 – Recorded in the Mer des histoires, the date the Robert dictionaries give.^[6][7]
• 16th century – Calvin names exorcistes among the orders of the Church.^[4]
• 1672 – First used for any person who exorcises.^[5][6]
• 1886 – Léon Bloy uses it figuratively.^[5]
• mid-20th century – Exorcistat appears for the office of exorcist.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A person who exorcises, who drives out demons.^[8][2]
2. (Catholic Church) A cleric who has received the third minor order, which gives the power to exorcise.^[8][2][6]

Word family

• exorcistat

Related words

• exorciser
• exorcisme
• exorciseur
• Latin exorcista
• English exorcist

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert