inerte

Forms

inerte (plural inertes)^[1] Middle French inherte (1509) and inert (1534).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin iners (“unskilled, inactive”), literally “without skill”, a word formed from in- and ars (“skill, art”).^[4][5][2][6] The Latin adjective also meant “sluggish”, “unproductive” and “insipid”.^[5][2] The TLFi dates the borrowing to 1505; the Grand Robert and the GLLF give the spelling inherte in 1509, and Bloch and Wartburg give 1509 for a first, isolated use and 1745 for the word's lasting adoption.^[4][2][3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1505, in D. Christol's French version of Platina, meaning “inactive”, a sense used only in the 16th century.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century the word also took the Latin senses “ignorant” (1534, Rabelais, as inert) and “clumsy” (1596); these lasted into the 17th century and then went out of use.^[5][3]

The adjective was taken up again in the 18th century under the influence of inertie, first in physics for matter that has neither activity nor movement of its own (Diderot, 1759).^[5][4] It stayed a learned term in agronomy (sol inerte, 1866) and in chemistry (gaz inerte).^[5] After 1750 it was also applied to a motionless person (1783) and a limp limb (1835), since 1835 it is also said of a person or mind lacking energy.^[5]

Timeline

• 1505 – First recorded, meaning “inactive”.^[4]
• 1509 – The spelling inherte is found.^[2][3]
• 1534 – Rabelais uses inert for “ignorant”.^[5][3]
• 1596 – The sense “clumsy” is recorded.^[5][3]
• 1759 – Diderot uses it of matter without reaction or movement.^[4][5]
• 1783 – Said of a person lying without movement.^[5]
• 1835 – Esprit inerte and membre inerte are recorded.^[5]
• 1866 – Sol inerte appears in agronomy.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Having no activity or motion of its own: la matière inerte.^[8][4]
2. (physics, chemistry) Not changing its state by itself, or causing no reaction with other substances: gaz inerte.^[8][4]
3. (agronomy) Sol inerte: the layer of soil between the topsoil and the subsoil.^[8][9]
4. Showing no sign of life, motionless: Le chien restait inerte sur le tapis.^[8]
5. (figurative) Without reaction or energy, apathetic.^[8][5]
6. (military) Of training ammunition: containing no explosive.^[4]

Word family

• inertement

Related words

• inertie
• art
• Latin iners
• English inert

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 657a
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette