Etymologically
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imbécile

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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
  • 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