fée

Forms

fée f (plural fées, masculine féetaud)^[1] Old French fae.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French fae, inherited from Vulgar Latin Fāta (“goddess of fate”), the name of the Parcae.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} It comes from fātum (“destiny”), literally a divine utterance, from fārī (“to speak”), the source also of fable.^[4][6] The fairies were believed to have a supernatural power over human destiny.^[7][8]

Cognate with Italian fata, Occitan fada, Catalan fada, Portuguese fada and Spanish hada.^[6][1][9] Berry has fade and fadette, and Geneva fâye.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis (about 1140), for a supernatural woman.^[2][4] The Roman de la Rose compares a lady to a goddess or a fairy: “El resembloit deesse ou fée.”^[9]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named an imaginary female being able to influence human fate, a good or a wicked one.^[4][6] Conte de fées was used figuratively from the 18th century for an extraordinary, charming adventure.^[4][5] The word came to praise a woman of exceptional gifts, as in belle comme une fée and la fée du logis, a woman who keeps her home perfectly.^[4][10]

In slang la fée aux yeux verts (1894), later la fée verte, was absinthe, and la fée blanche (mid-20th century) cocaine; about 1930 people spoke of la fée électricité.^[4] As an old adjective fée meant “enchanted, endowed with magic”: in the 15th century a sword was said to be fée.^[6][9]

Timeline

• c. 1140 – First recorded in Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis.^[2]
• 1188 – The derivative faerie, later féerie, appears.^[4]
• 18th century – Conte de fées is used figuratively.^[4]
• 1828 – The adjective féerique appears.^[4]
• 1894 – La fée aux yeux verts “absinthe” is recorded.^[4]
• c. 1930 – La fée électricité.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A fairy, an imaginary female being with supernatural powers over human fate: une bonne fée, la fée Carabosse.^[10][6]
2. Conte de fées: a fairy tale; figuratively, a wonderful adventure.^[11][4]
3. (literary) A woman of remarkable grace, kindness or skill.^[10]
4. Fée du logis: a person who keeps an excellent household.^[10]
5. Ouvrage de fée: work of extreme perfection.^[10]

Adjective

1. (dated) enchanted, having magic powers.^[6]

Word family

• féerie
• féerique

Related words

• fable
• fatal
• Latin fātum

Usage notes

Pierre aux fées is a popular name for megaliths.^[10] The Wiktionary head line gives the masculine féetaud.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 432b
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)