Etymologically
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fiancé

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Pronunciation

  • /fjɑ̃.se/[1]
  • /fi.jɑ̃.se/[1]

Forms

fiancé (feminine fiancée, masculine plural fiancés, feminine plural fiancées)[1]

Etymology

It is from French fiancer (“to betroth”), from the verb's past participle used as an adjective and a noun.[2][3][1] The verb comes from Old French fiance (“pledge, oath of loyalty”) (1080),[4][5] from the verb fier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *fīdō (“to entrust”), derived from Latin fīdus (“faithful”).[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

As an adjective, fiancié meant “bound by one's word, committed by homage” in the late 12th century; the noun in the modern sense, sa fyancee, is first recorded in 1367 in a charter of Sens.[3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The verb fiancer first meant “to pledge one's word” (about 1170), then “to undertake to marry” (1225–1229), and the participle followed it, from “engaged on one's honour” to “engaged to be married”.[5][4] In the mid-20th century the noun also came into use as a euphemism for a lover.[4] Littré records fiancée as the name of several moths (1877).[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1170 – Fiancier “to pledge one's word”, in Chrétien de Troyes' Erec et Enide.[5]
  • c. 1180 – The adjective, “bound by one's word”.[2][4]
  • 1367 – The noun fyancee in the modern sense.[5][2]
  • mid-20th century – Used as a euphemism for a lover.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A fiancé or fiancée: a person who has promised to marry.[3][1]
  2. (familiar, euphemism) A lover, boyfriend or girlfriend.[4]

Adjective

  1. Engaged to be married.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e 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
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France