idéaliser

Forms

idéaliser^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French idéal + -iser.^[2][3][1] Idéal is from Late Latin ideālis (“existing in idea”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéā, “idea”).^[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1795, in A. L. de Villeterque's Veillées philosophiques, in the sense “to make something conform to an immaterial perfection”.^[2][5] Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert date it to 1794.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

From the philosophical sense, giving the world or an object an ideal character, the verb came to mean presenting a person or thing as more perfect than they are, as a painter does with a model or memory with an absent person.^[2][6][5] The past participle idéalisé is recorded in 1828 in Guizot.^[2][7] The reflexive s'idéaliser appears in 1835 in Vigny,^[5][7] and in 1867 in the philosophical sense “to break away from materialism”.^[8]

The noun idéalisation dates from 1794, the rarer idéalisateur from 1845.^[7] English idealize (1786) was probably formed in English from ideal.^[9]

Timeline

• 1794 – Date given by Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert.^[4][3]
• 1795 – Villeterque uses it in his Veillées philosophiques.^[2][5]
• 1828 – Idéalisé in Guizot's Histoire de la civilisation.^[2]
• 1835 – The reflexive s'idéaliser in Vigny.^[5][7]
• 1923 – Used intransitively in the arts, in Mauclair.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To give an ideal character to someone or something, to idealize, embellish.^[6][2][1]
2. (reflexive) S'idéaliser: to become idealized.^[10][5]

Word family

• idéalisation
• idéalisateur

Related words

• idéal
• idéalisme
• idéaliste
• idée
• Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéā)
• English idealize

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette