ingénuité

Forms

ingénuité f (plural ingénuités)^[1] Middle French ingenité (1376–1377), refashioned as ingénuité in 1546.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin ingenuitās (“condition of a freeborn person, frankness”), derived from ingenuus (“freeborn”), the source of ingénu.^[2][4][5] The first French form was ingenité (1376–1377), and the present form is a refashioning after the Latin, recorded in 1546.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ingenité first appears in 1376–1377 in accounts from Burgundy, in the sense “frankness”.^[2] Robert Estienne's Latin–French dictionary of 1546 gives ingénuité for Latin ingenuitas, explained as the honesty and nobility of free and frank people.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The legal sense of Latin ingenuitas, “condition of one born free”, is found in French in the 16th century, as in Calvin's Institution.^[2][4] The word otherwise followed the sense development of the adjective ingénu: from frankness it came to mean innocent, naive sincerity.^[3][2] By 1639 Rotrou uses it of a somewhat foolish naivety.^[2]

In theatre language Littré records the plural ingénuités for the roles of naive young girls.^[4]

Timeline

• 1376–1377 – Ingenité “frankness” is recorded in Burgundian accounts.^[2]
• 1546 – Estienne's dictionary has the form ingénuité.^[2][3]
• 16th century – Calvin uses it for the legal status of a freeborn person.^[4][2]
• 1639 – Rotrou uses it for a slightly foolish naivety.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (literary) Innocent, naive sincerity, candour: elle avoua tout avec ingénuité.^[6][7][8]
2. (Roman law) The status of a person born free.^[6][2]

Related words

• ingénu
• ingénument
• Latin ingenuitās

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)