inclément

Forms

inclément (feminine inclémente, masculine plural incléments, feminine plural inclémentes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin inclēmēns (“harsh, unmerciful”), formed from in- (“not”) and clēmēns (“mild, merciful”).^[2][3][4][5] It is the antonym of clément, from the Latin simplex.^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi and the Grand Robert date it to 1546, from Robert Estienne's Latin–French dictionary, in the sense “lacking clemency”.^[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg give 1528, and the noun inclémence from 1520.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The word stayed rare until the 20th century, according to Bloch and Wartburg; the GLLF finds the sense “lacking clemency” rarely before Voltaire (1773).^[7][4] It lost the strong Latin sense “severe, cruel” and now survives mainly in literary use of the weather or climate, in a sense close to rigoureux, recorded from 1801.^[6]

Littré already applied it to gods, the sky and fate, and to things unfavourable as an unmerciful person would be;^[5][2] Hugo used it of a barren soil (1856).^[5][2]

Timeline

• 1520 – The noun inclémence is recorded.^[7]
• 1528 – The date Bloch and Wartburg give for the adjective.^[7]
• 1546 – Robert Estienne's Latin–French dictionary records it.^[2][4]
• 1773 – Voltaire uses it of persons lacking clemency.^[4]
• 1801 – Used of harsh weather.^[6]
• 1856 – Hugo applies it to a barren soil in Les Contemplations.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (literary, dated) Lacking clemency or indulgence; merciless: un maître inclément.^[2][8][5]
2. (figurative, literary) Of weather, climate or conditions: harsh, rigorous: un hiver inclément.^[8][9][6]

Related words

• clément
• inclémence
• Latin clēmēns

References

1. ^ a b 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)