instiguer

Forms

instiguer (transitive verb, first group)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin īnstīgō (“to goad, stimulate, incite”).^[2][3][4][5] The Grand Robert compares Old Occitan estigar.^[6] Littré gives the cognates Spanish instigar and Italian instigare, and explains the Latin verb as in- with an unattested simple verb of the same root as Ancient Greek στίζω (stízō, “to prick”), the source of stigmate.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pierre Bersuire's translation of Livy (1352–56) has it in the sense “to rouse, push on”.^[2][4][3]

Semantic evolution

Littré quotes a 15th-century record cited by Du Cange, in which a man is instigated to play at dice, and a 16th-century prayer of Jean Le Houx.^[7] The Académie noted in 1718 that the verb was growing old and in 1798 that it was old; it went out of use in France at the end of the 18th century.^[2][4] It is usually said of pushing someone to do something bad.^[2]

It has stayed in current use in the French of Belgium, as Hanse observed in 1949, in the sense “to urge someone to do something”.^[2][4][8] The related nouns instigateur and instigation stayed in general use.^[4]

Timeline

• 1352–56 – Bersuire uses it in his translation of Livy.^[2][4]
• 15th century – Du Cange cites instiga from a French document.^[7]
• 1718 – The Académie notes that it is growing old.^[2][4]
• 1798 – The Académie calls it old.^[2][4]
• 1949 – Hanse notes it is still very common in Belgium.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (dated, or Belgium) To incite or urge someone to do something, usually something bad: on l'a instigué à mentir.^[2][8][1][9]

Related words

• instigateur
• instigation
• inciter
• Latin īnstīgō

References

1. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 723a
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)