flair

Forms

flair m (plural flairs)^[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from French flairer.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} The verb, earlier flairier, goes back to Vulgar Latin *flagrō, a dissimilated popular form of classical Latin frāgrō (“to give off a sweet smell”), confused with flagrō (“to blaze”).^[5][4][1] The verb's sense of smelling something out is already Latin, since Portuguese cheirar has it, while Old Occitan flairar means “to give off a smell”.^[4][6]

Cognate with Portuguese cheiro (“smell”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1176 in Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès, meaning “smell, odour”.^[2][5][7]

Semantic evolution

Like its verb, which meant “to give off a smell” until the 15th century, flair first named an odour.^[4][5] From about 1265 (Jean de Meun) it named the sense of smell of a person;^[7][5] in the Roman de Renart the dogs le flair perdirent (“lost the scent”).^[8] From 1555 (Ronsard) it is said of the dog's sense of smell, and later of animals in general, the only literal use left today.^[2][5]

In the 19th century it came to mean an instinctive ability to guess or foresee, as in avoir du flair, comparable to avoir du nez;^[5][9] the Grand Larousse cites Théophile Gautier for this sense before 1872.^[7]

English borrowed Old French flaire “odour” in the mid-14th century; its sense “special aptitude” is American English of 1925.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 1176 – Flair “odour” in Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès.^[2][7]
• c. 1265 – Jean de Meun uses it for a person's sense of smell.^[7][5]
• 14th century – English flair “an odour”, from Old French.^[10]
• 1555 – Ronsard uses it for a dog's sense of smell.^[2][5]
• Before 1872 – Gautier uses it for intuitive insight.^[7]
• 1925 – American English flair “special aptitude”.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. The sense of smell of animals, especially of the dog: le flair d'un chien de chasse.^[9][11][7]
2. (figurative) An instinctive ability to sense or guess things, intuition, insight: avoir du flair, manquer de flair.^[9][11][5]

Related words

• flairer
• flaireur
• fragrance
• Latin frāgrō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
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. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)