inconsidéré

Forms

inconsidéré (feminine inconsidérée, masculine plural inconsidérés, feminine plural inconsidérées)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin incōnsīderātus (“thoughtless, unconsidered”), from in- (“not”) and cōnsīderātus (“thought out, prudent”), the past participle of cōnsīderō (“to examine, consider”).^[2][3][4][5] The Latin adjective was said both of people and of things.^[2] The TLFi dates it from 1509; the Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and the DHLF from the end of the 15th century.^[2][3][6][7] Bloch and Wartburg, who give it with inconsidération (1488), note that both words followed the senses of considéré and considération.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Lemaire de Belges is the first to use it, of a thing, in 1509.^[2][4] Littré quotes his Pallas parlant à Pâris, which warns against the “naufrage inconsideré” (heedless shipwreck) of offending one's neighbours.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was used of actions and words done without reflection, as in La Noue's entreprises inconsiderées (rash undertakings, 16th century).^[5] Applied to people, “acting without thinking”, it is found in Malherbe before 1628; this sense is now dated, and it was also used as a noun, un inconsidéré.^[2][4][5]

The DHLF notes that it kept the moral sense of thoughtlessness and drifted apart from modern considéré “respected”.^[7] The adverb inconsidérément is recorded from the early 16th century.^[7]

Timeline

• 1509 – Jean Lemaire de Belges uses it of a thing.^[2]
• 16th century – La Noue writes of entreprises inconsiderées.^[5]
• early 16th century – The adverb inconsidérément appears.^[7]
• before 1628 – Malherbe uses it of a person.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of words or actions: done without proper reflection; rash, thoughtless: une dépense inconsidérée, des paroles inconsidérées.^[6][9][2]
2. (dated) Of a person: acting or speaking without thinking, imprudent; also as a noun, un inconsidéré.^[6][2][5]

Word family

• inconsidérément

Related words

• considérer
• considéré
• considération
• inconsidération
• Latin incōnsīderātus

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)