insomnie

Forms

insomnie f (plural insomnies)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin īnsomnia (“sleeplessness”),^[2][3][1][4] the neuter plural of īnsomnium, from īnsomnis (“sleepless”),^[4][5] formed from in- (“not”) and somnus (“sleep”).^[4][6][7][8] The Latin noun belongs to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *swep- (“to sleep”), also behind sommeil and somme³.^[4][5]

Middle French had earlier taken insompnité (1495) from Late Latin insomnietas, a 4th-century derivative.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch–Wartburg and the GLLF date it to 1555, in Belon; the TLFi's first quotation is from André Du Chesne in 1611, for “lack of sleep”.^[3][7][2]

Semantic evolution

It kept the Latin sense, involuntary lack of sleep, and is now more often used of a time during which one cannot sleep, especially in the plural.^[4][9][7] Richelet noted in 1680 that physicians sometimes made it masculine, after Latin insomnium.^[4] Its derivatives are insomnieux (1853, the Goncourts) and the commoner insomniaque (1883, Richepin), formed on the model of cardiaque and maniaque.^[4]

Timeline

• 1495 – The earlier borrowing insompnité is recorded.^[2][4]
• 1555 – First record of insomnie, in Belon.^[3][7][6]
• 1611 – André Du Chesne uses it for “lack of sleep”.^[2]
• 1680 – Richelet notes its masculine use among physicians.^[4]
• 1688 – Madame de Sévigné uses it for a spell of wakefulness at night.^[7]
• 1853 – The Goncourts use insomnieux.^[4]
• 1883 – Richepin uses insomniaque.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Insomnia: difficulty in falling asleep or in sleeping enough: souffrir d'insomnie.^[9][10][11]
2. Une insomnie, des insomnies: a period during which one cannot get to sleep: Il a eu une longue insomnie cette nuit.^[9][11][7]

Word family

• insomniaque
• insomnieux

Related words

• sommeil
• somme³
• somnifère
• Latin īnsomnia

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)