indépendant

Forms

indépendant (feminine indépendante, masculine plural indépendants, feminine plural indépendantes)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French in- + dépendant.^[2][3][4][1] dépendant is the present participle of dépendre¹, which is from Latin dēpendeō (“to hang from”), from pendeō (“to hang”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1584, in J. de Barraud's translation of Guevara's Epistres dorées, meaning “not dependent”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century it took the psychological sense “who loves his freedom”, of a person, and it is mostly built with de (1636) in the sense “that does not vary with”.^[6][5] In international politics it describes the status of a sovereign country.^[6] A fashion use for a hat like those of the soldiers of the American War of Independence (1826, Balzac) has disappeared; since the middle of the 20th century it has been said of a lodging or room with its own entrance.^[6]

As a noun it named the members of an English religious sect of the 17th century (1669) and, in politics, members of conservative parties or groups (1791), as in Républicain indépendant (1872).^[6][2] The derivatives include indépendamment (1630) and indépendantiste (1968).^[6]

Timeline

• 1584 – First record, “not dependent”.^[2][3][5]
• 1630 – The adverb indépendamment is recorded.^[6]
• 1636 – The construction indépendant de appears.^[6][5]
• 1669 – The noun names an English religious sect.^[6]
• 1791 – Les Indépendants, a political group.^[2][6]
• 1826 – Balzac uses it for a style of hat.^[6]
• 1872 – Républicain indépendant.^[6]
• 1968 – The derivative indépendantiste is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (of a person) Indépendant de: not dependent on someone or something; absolutely, free of any dependence: Depuis qu'il travaille, il est indépendant.^[4][2][7]
2. Not attached to a party or school: député indépendant; of a worker, self-employed, not salaried.^[4][1]
3. (of a position or situation) Guaranteeing someone's independence.^[4][7]
4. (of a person or character) Who loves independence and will not submit to anyone.^[4][7]
5. (of a state or community) Sovereign, enjoying independence.^[4][7]
6. Indépendant de: that does not vary with, unrelated to: pour des raisons indépendantes de notre volonté.^[4][2]
7. (in the plural) Unconnected with one another, separate;^[4] (mathematics) of vectors or events, independent.^[4]
8. (of a room or lodging) With its own entrance.^[6][5]

Noun

1. A freelancer or self-employed worker.^[1][4]
2. (history) A member of a political group of independents.^[2][6]

Word family

• indépendamment
• indépendantiste
• indépendantisme

Related words

• indépendance
• dépendant
• dépendre¹

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette