indistinct

Forms

indistinct (feminine indistincte, masculine plural indistincts, feminine plural indistinctes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin indistinctus (“not distinguished, confused, obscure”),^[2][3][4] formed from in- (“not”) and distinctus, the past participle of distinguō (“to separate, distinguish”).^[4][5] The adverb indistinctement, recorded from 1495 or 1496, suggests that the adjective is older than its first record in 1549.^[2][3][6][7]

Cognate with Old Occitan indistinct, Spanish indistinto and Italian indistinto.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in Robert Estienne's French–Latin dictionary of 1549, and Nicot lists it in 1606.^[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Like distinct, it describes what is not clearly separated from other things, and since the 17th century what the senses can hardly make out: Richelet has idée indistincte in 1680, and Buffon wrote of a vision indistincte before 1788.^[6][2] The figurative sense “ill-defined, confused”, of a feeling or an idea, is dated to Furetière in 1690.^[4] The adverb indistinctement means both “confusedly” and, more often, “without distinction”, and the noun indistinction appeared in 1752.^[6]

Timeline

• 1495 – The adverb indistinctement is recorded.^[2][8]
• 1549 – First record of the adjective, in Robert Estienne's dictionary.^[2][4]
• 1606 – Nicot lists it.^[2][5]
• 1680 – Richelet has idée indistincte.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the figurative sense “ill-defined”.^[4]
• 1752 – The noun indistinction appears.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not distinct, hard to make out or tell apart, confused, blurred, as in des silhouettes indistinctes dans le brouillard or des murmures indistincts.^[8][2]
2. (figurative) Not clearly defined, vague³, as in une crainte indistincte.^[8][4]

Word family

• indistinctement
• indistinction

Related words

• distinct
• distinguer
• Latin indistinctus

References

1. ^ a b 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 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 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert