généreux

Forms

généreux (feminine généreuse, masculine plural généreux, feminine plural généreuses)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin generōsus (“of good or noble birth, noble-minded”), first recorded in 1370.^[2][3][4] The Latin adjective is derived from genus (“birth, race”), and was said of people and animals, then figuratively of noble feelings, since good birth was often equated with moral worth.^[3][5] The first French use, “able to engender”, is probably a separate borrowing in a sense still tied to générer.^[2][3]

Cognate with Occitan generos, Spanish generoso and Italian generoso.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record (1370, Jean Le Fèvre's translation of La Vieille) has the figurative sense “capable of engendering”, said of grammar.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century the word took up the first sense of the Latin, “of noble race” (as a noun 1540, as an adjective 1556), also said of animals (1567); this sense has disappeared.^[2][3] From 1556 (Ronsard) it also meant “having noble feelings”, and Cotgrave records “brave, chivalrous” in 1611, a quality attributed to the noble.^[2][3][7]

Concrete figurative uses applied it to wine (vin généreux, 1611) and later to soil or a full figure (20th century).^[2][3] The sense “giving more than one must”, now the main one, dates from 1677;^[3][8][9] Bloch and Wartburg note that the senses of noble birth and nobility gave way to “liberal” only from the 17th century.^[3][8][9]

Timeline

• 1370 – Jean Le Fèvre uses it for “capable of engendering”.^[2][3]
• 1540 – Used as a noun, “person of noble race”.^[2]
• 1556 – Ronsard uses it for “of noble race” and “noble-hearted”.^[2]
• 1567 – Ronsard applies it to animals.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records vin genereux.^[2]
• 1677 – First record of “giving freely”.^[3][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (obsolete) Of noble race; of animals, spirited, of good breed.^[8][2]
2. (dated) Noble-hearted, magnanimous; brave.^[8]
3. Generous, inclined to give more than one has to.^[8][1]
4. Of things: abundant, rich;^[8][2] vin généreux: a full-bodied, strong wine; of soil, fertile.^[8][2]

Noun

1. Faire le généreux: to act the generous one.^[8]

Word family

• généreusement

Related words

• générosité
• genre
• Latin generōsus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 99a
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France