frauduleux

Forms

frauduleux (feminine frauduleuse, masculine plural frauduleux, feminine plural frauduleuses)^[1] Middle French also had fraudeleux (15th century).^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin fraudulōsus (“fraudulent”), a Late Latin legal word,^[3][4][1] from fraus (“fraud”).^[2][5] Bloch and Wartburg note that it was borrowed to serve as the adjective of fraude.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Nicole Oresme's treatise on money, where exaction frauduleuse is a levy tainted by fraud; the TLFi dates the passage to 1365, while the Robert dictionaries, the GLLF and Rey give about 1361.^[3][5][4][7] Littré quotes marchiés frauduleux “fraudulent dealings” from Oresme.^[2]

Semantic evolution

From the start the adjective described acts and things tainted by fraud.^[3][7] About 1560 Ambroise Paré applied it to people, “given to fraud, deceitful”, a use the TLFi and GLLF now call old or classical.^[4][2][3] By 1764 Voltaire used it of things in the sense “false, falsified”, also now dated.^[4][8]

In law, banqueroute frauduleuse (1675) is a bankruptcy in which the debtor has hidden or diverted assets, and a banqueroutier frauduleux is one guilty of it.^[4][8][2] Littré also gives the sense “evading customs or excise duties”.^[2] The adverb frauduleusement followed about 1398.^[7]

Timeline

• 1365 – Nicole Oresme uses it in his treatise on money (about 1361 in the Robert dictionaries and Rey).^[5][7][3]
• 15th century – A text on Louis XI has the form fraudeleux.^[2]
• c. 1398 – The adverb frauduleusement is recorded.^[7]
• c. 1560 – Paré applies it to deceitful people.^[4][2]
• 1675 – Banqueroute frauduleuse is recorded.^[4]
• 1764 – Voltaire uses it in the sense “false, falsified”.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Tainted by fraude, fraudulent: une vente frauduleuse, un commerce frauduleux.^[8][3]
2. (law) Banqueroute frauduleuse: fraudulent bankruptcy, banqueroutier frauduleux: a debtor guilty of it.^[8][4]
3. Intention frauduleuse: the intention of getting round the law or of deceiving someone.^[8]
4. (dated) False, falsified: des papiers frauduleux.^[8][3]
5. (old, of people) Given to fraud, deceitful.^[3][4]

Word family

• frauduleusement

Related words

• fraude
• frauder
• fraudeur
• Latin fraus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert