incrédule

Forms

incrédule (plural incrédules)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin incrēdulus (“unbelieving, not believing”), which in Christian Latin meant “without faith”.^[2][3] The Latin adjective is formed from in- (“not”) and crēdulus (“ready to believe”), from crēdō (“to believe”).^[4][5] The noun incrédulité was borrowed separately from Latin incrēdulitās, and is recorded much earlier, in the 10th-century Valenciennes Fragment, as encredulitet.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is as a noun in Froissart's Chroniques at the end of the 14th century, meaning someone without religious faith, an unbeliever:^[2][4] Et menaçoient encore les incredules grandement sainte Eglise et la chrestienté “and the unbelievers still greatly threatened Holy Church and Christendom”.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Like incrédulité, the word was at first used in a religious setting, of those who do not hold the faith.^[7][2] It then took on a general sense: from 1538, in Robert Estienne's dictionary, it describes a person who is not easily persuaded and doubts what is said.^[2][4][8]

In modern French both senses live on, the religious one beside incroyant and the general one beside sceptique, and the adjective is also used of a look or gesture that shows disbelief.^[8][2]

Timeline

• 10th century – The noun encredulitet (later incrédulité) appears in the Valenciennes Fragment.^[6]
• Late 14th century – Froissart uses incredule as a noun for an unbeliever.^[2][4]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne records the general sense “not easily convinced”.^[2][4][8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Having no religious faith, not believing in the doctrines of a religion.^[8][2][4]
2. Not easily persuaded, inclined to doubt, incredulous: Son récit nous a laissés incrédules.^[8][1]
3. Of a look or expression, showing disbelief: un sourire incrédule.^[8]

Noun

1. An unbeliever, a person without religious faith.^[2][1][4]
2. A person who does not readily believe what he is told, a sceptic.^[5][8]

Related words

• crédule
• incrédulité
• Latin incrēdulus

References

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