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immature

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Etymology and origin of the French word immature

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1504–1509 Jean Lemaire de Belges, La Couronne margaritique More words from the 16th century
Borrowed from
Latin immaturus
Ultimate origin
Latin mātūrus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin mātūrus
French mûr
Italian maturo
Spanish maduro
English mature
Romanian matur
Latin immātūrus
English immature
French immature
Spanish inmaduro
From the same root
Latin mātūrē ← mātūrus
Latin mātūrēscō ← mātūrus
Latin mātūritās ← mātūrus
Latin mātūrō ← mātūrus
Latin praemātūrus ← mātūrus

Pronunciation

Forms

immature (plural immatures)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin immātūrus (“unripe, premature, under age”),[2][3][4][1] formed from in- (“not”) and mātūrus (“ripe”).[3][4][5] Its modern biological and psychological senses were taken up under the influence of the English word immature (1641), itself from the same Latin word.[2][6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found between 1504 and 1509 in Jean Lemaire de Belges' Couronne margaritique, in mort immature “untimely death”, with the sense now expressed by prématuré.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The sense “not ripe” followed in 1576.[2][6] These early French uses grew old and died out.[6] The word was borrowed again from English in biology in 1897,[2][6][7] and in psychology in the 20th century;[6] the GLLF dates the figurative use to 1959 (Jean Rostand) and the biological one to 1967.[4][8] Le Robert still marks the psychological sense as an anglicism.[9]

Timeline

  • 1504–1509 – Jean Lemaire de Belges writes mort immature, “untimely death”.[2][6]
  • 1576 – Used in the sense “not ripe”.[2][6]
  • 1641 – The English word immature is recorded.[2][6]
  • 1897 – Taken up in biology under English influence.[2][3][7]
  • 1959 – Jean Rostand uses it figuratively.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (science) Not yet mature, not yet able to reproduce: des truites immatures.[7][2][10]
  2. Lacking intellectual or emotional maturité.[7][9][10]
  3. (rare) Not yet ripe.[2]

Word family

  • immaturité

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 535b
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Immature.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/immature. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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