imbécile

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛ̃.be.sil/^[1]

Forms

imbécile (plural imbéciles)^[1] The spelling imbecille (1508), usual in the 17th century, is still found early in the 19th; the Académie spelled it so from 1694 to 1762.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin imbēcillus (“weak in body or mind; without character”) (1495–1496),^[3][2][4][5] explained as literally “without a staff, without support”, from in- (“not”) and bacillum (“little staff”), a diminutive of baculum (“staff, stick”);^[2][4][6] Rey relates it to an Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *bak- (“staff”).^[2] Littré thought the Latin word of doubtful origin, since the vowel lengths of the supposed parts do not agree.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1496 in the Latin sense “physically weak”;^[3][2] Robert Garnier calls women le sexe imbecile (1580).^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Imbecille de sens “weak in mind” (1509) prepared the sense “lacking intelligence”: imbecille jugement (1548), and of persons in Montaigne (1595).^[3][2] The Latin sense “lacking moral strength” is in Calvin (1541) and was common in classical French;^[2][8] Pascal still calls man an imbécile ver de terre, “feeble earthworm”.^[2][8] Bloch and Wartburg note that the modern sense won out in the 17th century.^[9] In medicine it meant “feeble-minded” from 1671 (Pomey).^[3][2]

As an insult it is largely emptied of meaning (espèce d'imbécile), like idiot and crétin;^[2][6] imbécile heureux is a fool pleased with himself.^[2] imbécillité is older, from the 14th century (Bersuire).^[9] The adverb imbécilement (1542) first meant “weakly”; its modern sense is in Saint-Simon.^[2]

Timeline

• 1496 – “Physically weak”.^[3]
• 1509 – Imbecille de sens, “weak-minded”, in Jean Lemaire de Belges.^[3]
• 1541 – “Lacking moral strength”, in Calvin.^[3]
• 1542 – Imbécillement.^[2]
• 1580 – Le sexe imbecile, in Garnier.^[3]
• 1595 – Of persons lacking intelligence, in Montaigne.^[3]
• 1671 – Medical “feeble-minded” (Pomey).^[3]
• 1762 – Last Académie edition with imbecille.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Stupid, foolish: commentaire imbécile.^[8][1]
2. (archaic) Weak, feeble.^[8][2]
3. (medicine, dated) Mentally deficient.^[8][3]

Noun

1. An idiot, a fool, often as an insult: espèce d'imbécile, imbécile heureux, a self-satisfied fool.^[8][2]
2. (medicine, dated) An imbecile.^[8]

Word family

• imbécilement

Related words

• imbécillité

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 o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 566b
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f g 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