insurmontable

Forms

insurmontable (plural insurmontables)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French in- + surmontable.^[2][1][3] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert analyse it as in- with surmonter and -able.^[4][5] Bloch and Wartburg record surmontable from 1174 and the verb from 1121; monter is from Vulgar Latin *montō, from mōns (“mountain”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch and Wartburg date the word to 1561; the TLFi's own first record is in Cotgrave's dictionary of 1611.^[2][4][6] It meant that cannot be overcome.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The word is used mostly of obstacles and difficulties that cannot be overcome, and more rarely, in a concrete sense, of a barrier that cannot be crossed, such as a mountain range.^[2][3] From 1680, in Madame de Sévigné, it is also said of a feeling that cannot be mastered, such as fear or disgust.^[3]

Timeline

• 1561 – First recorded, according to Bloch and Wartburg.^[6][4]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records it.^[2][4]
• 1680 – Madame de Sévigné uses it of a feeling.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That cannot be overcome; insurmountable, as in Le manque d'argent n'était pas un obstacle insurmontable.^[5][8][7]
2. (rare) That cannot be crossed, impassable.^[2]
3. Of a feeling: that cannot be controlled or held back, as in Il éprouvait une peur insurmontable du vide.^[5][8][3]

Related words

• surmonter
• surmontable
• monter

References

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