humide

Forms

humide (plural humides)^[1] Middle French masculine humiz beside feminine humide; the feminine form became the form of both genders.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin hūmidus (“moist, wet”),^[2][3][5] a variant of ūmidus,^[1] derived from humeō (“to be moist”), a verb of unclear origin.^[3][4] The first French form was humiz for the masculine, beside the present form for the feminine, in the 14th century; by 1495 the feminine form served for both genders.^[2][3]

Littré compares Occitan humid, Spanish húmedo, Portuguese humido and Italian umido.^[6] Rey links it with humeur and humecter.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 14th-century Moamin et Ghatrif, a treatise on hunting birds, humiz and humide mean “of the nature of water”, a sense now archaic.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, “of the nature of water”, survives in poetry: l'humide élément is water or the sea.^[3][6] In 1528 the word took its modern sense, “charged with water vapour”, of air, cloth or walls that hold liquid without being soaked through;^[2][3] it is weaker than mouillé or trempé.^[3] In the 16th century it was used as a noun, l'humide et le sec.^[3]

Eyes humides are wet with tears, and a moist look was described as gentle and bright.^[6] La paille humide des cachots stands for prison.^[3]

Timeline

• 14th century – Humiz and humide “watery” in Moamin et Ghatrif.^[2]
• 1495 – Humide for both genders.^[2][3]
• 1528 – The Perceforest uses it for “charged with water vapour”.^[2]
• 16th century – L'humide as a noun.^[3]
• 1649 – Scarron uses the derivative humidifier.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (archaic, poetic) Of the nature of water: l'humide élément, water, the sea.^[7][6]
2. Slightly wet, damp, moist: un torchon humide, un sous-sol humide.^[7][1]
3. Of air or a climate: humid, rainy: un été humide.^[7][6]
4. Of eyes: wet with tears.^[7][6]

Noun

1. L'humide: moistness, in contrast with dryness.^[7][3]

Related words

• humidificateur
• humidifier
• humidité
• humeur
• humecter
• Latin hūmidus

References

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