indomptable

Forms

indomptable (plural indomptables)^[1] 16th-century indontable (Desportes).^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French in- + domptable, the negative prefix and the adjective “tameable”.^[3][4][1][5] That adjective (12th century) is from French dompter and is rare beside its negative.^[6][1] The verb is from Latin domitō (“to tame”), which survived only in Gallo-Romance, and its ⟨p⟩ came from old spellings with ⟨mpt⟩ and ⟨mpn⟩ beside damnum and tentare.^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1420, in the Complainte des bons François: L'ennemy seroit indomptable “the enemy would be invincible”.^[3][4] It was thus first said of people who cannot be subdued.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Used first of an enemy or a people that could not be subjugated (1420),^[7][3] it was applied in the 16th century to feelings and qualities that cannot be mastered: Montaigne writes of the ardeur indomptable with which thousands faced death to defend their gods and their liberty (1588).^[7][2] The literal sense, of an animal that cannot be tamed, is dated 1677 (Racine).^[7] The figurative use, as in une énergie indomptable, is now the main one.^[6] It has given the rare words indomptablement and indomptabilité.^[6]

Timeline

• 1420 – First recorded, in the Complainte des bons François.^[3]
• 1588 – Montaigne uses it of an ardour that nothing can master.^[7][2]
• 1677 – Racine uses it of an untameable animal.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of an animal: that cannot be tamed.^[8][3][7]
2. Of a person or a people: that cannot be subdued by any authority, fiercely independent.^[8][3]
3. Of a quality or feeling: that cannot be mastered or overcome, invincible: une colère indomptable.^[8][7]

Related words

• dompter
• domptable
• indompté

References

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