Etymologically
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intelligent

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:15. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛ̃.tɛ.li.ʒɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA: /ɛ̃.te.li.ʒɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA: /ɛ̃.tɛl.li.ʒɑ̃/[1]

Forms

intelligent (feminine intelligente, masculine plural intelligents, feminine plural intelligentes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin intellegēns (“discerning; a connoisseur”), the present participle of intellegō (“to understand”), from inter (“between”) and legō (“to gather; to read”).[2][3][4][1][5] It belongs with intelligence (12th century) and intelligible (13th century), borrowed earlier.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Emmanuel Piloti's treatise (1420) it means a person who knows an art or craft well, an expert.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The sense “having the faculty of knowing” is recorded in La Mer des histoires (1488), the date Bloch and Wartburg give for the word.[2][6][4] Cotgrave (1611) records the sense “quick to understand”;[4] Littré (1867) extends it to animals.[4] Sully (late 16th century) uses it for a person skilful and of sound judgement in his own field.[4][7]

Balzac (1830) applies it to what shows intelligence in a person, such as a look, and the ironic use for something stupid (c'est intelligent !) is from the 20th century.[4] In the 1920s and 1930s French writers on Russia used intelliguent as a noun for a member of the intelligentsia.[8]

Timeline

  • 1420 – “Expert in an art”, in Piloti.[2]
  • 1488 – “Endowed with understanding”, in La Mer des histoires.[2][6]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records “quick-witted”.[4]
  • 1694 – The Académie records the word.[2]
  • 1784 – The negative inintelligent.[6]
  • 1830 – Of a look or face showing intelligence, in Balzac.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Having the faculty of knowing and understanding: l'homme, être intelligent.[9][10]
  2. Intelligent, clever: quick to understand and to adapt.[9][10]
  3. Skilful and of sound judgement in one's field: un auxiliaire intelligent.[4]
  4. Showing intelligence: of a look, a face, a remark.[4]
  5. Of animals, showing traits like intelligence: que ce chien est intelligent ![9]
  6. (ironic) Stupid: c'est intelligent ![4]

Word family

  • inintelligent
  • inintelligence
  • mésintelligence

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 737b
  6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)