hésitant

Forms

hésitant (feminine hésitante, masculine plural hésitants, feminine plural hésitantes)^[3]

Etymology

It is the present participle from French hésiter.^[1][4][2][5] The verb is from Latin haesitō (“to be at a loss, stammer, hesitate”), recorded from the 15th century.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1721, in the Dictionnaire de Trévoux, as the plural noun les Hésitans, the name of those who could not decide whether to accept or reject the Council of Chalcedon.^[1][4]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it was first used of people, meaning “who hesitates”, in Boiste's dictionary of 1829.^[1][4][8] It was extended to things in the sense “not clearly defined” (1862, Victor Hugo) and “showing hesitation”, as of a voice or a step (1866).^[8][4]

Timeline

• 1721 – Les Hésitans appears in the Dictionnaire de Trévoux.^[1][4]
• 1829 – Boiste records the adjective.^[1][4][8]
• 1862 – Victor Hugo uses it of something undefined.^[4][8]
• 1866 – It is used of what shows hesitation.^[8][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a person: who finds it hard to make up their mind, undecided, hesitant.^[6][2]
2. Of a thing: not clearly settled or defined, uncertain.^[2][4]
3. That shows hesitation or lacks assurance, faltering: une voix hésitante, des pas hésitants.^[6][2][3]

Noun

1. A person who hesitates.^[5]

Related words

• hésiter
• hésitation
• Latin haesitō

References

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