indélébile

Forms

indélébile (plural indélébiles)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin indēlēbilis (“indelible, indestructible”),^[2][3][1] formed from in- (“not”) and dēlēbilis (“that can be destroyed”), from dēleō (“to efface, destroy”).^[4][5][6] Rey connects the verb, like aboleō, with alō (“to nourish, make grow”).^[4]

An adapted form indeleble was used in the 16th century (Pontus de Tyard, 1551).^[4][5][7] The simple délébile was taken from Latin much later, in 1819 according to Rey and 1823 according to Bloch and Wartburg.^[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record, in the prologue of the 1528 edition of Perceforest, is figurative: indelebile bruit, a renown that cannot be effaced.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In 1541 Calvin wrote of the caractere indelebile, a mark (of the priesthood) “which cannot be effaced”; the GLLF and Rey date the concrete sense “that cannot be rubbed out” from this text.^[2][6][5][4] The Académie recorded it of ink in 1835.^[5] The word is much more common than its opposite délébile, and its derivatives indélébilité (1771) and indélébilement (1775, earlier indeleblement 1551) are rare.^[4][2]

Timeline

• 1528 – Indelebile bruit appears in Perceforest.^[2]
• 1541 – Calvin writes of the caractere indelebile.^[2][6]
• 1551 – Pontus de Tyard uses the adapted form indeleble.^[5][4]
• 1771 – The noun indélébilité is recorded.^[2][4]
• 1835 – The Académie applies it to ink.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That cannot be erased or removed: encre indélébile, tache indélébile.^[8][2][6]
2. (figurative) That cannot be wiped out, lasting: souvenir indélébile.^[8][2]

Related words

• délébile
• Latin indēlēbilis

Usage notes

Littré gives the example that the character of a priest is indelible, the old theological use that Calvin already discusses.^[6]

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