Etymologically
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invisible

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Pronunciation

  • /ɛ̃.vi.zibl/[1]

Forms

invisible (plural invisibles)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin invīsibilis (“that cannot be seen”).[2][3][4][1][5] The Latin adjective is formed with the negative prefix in- on vīsibilis (“visible”), from vīsum, the supine of videō (“to see”).[6][7] The positive visible had come into French earlier, about 1190.[3]

Cognate with Old Occitan invisible, Spanish invisible and Italian invisibile.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1256 in Aldebrandin de Sienne's Régime du corps, meaning “that escapes sight”;[2][6] a manuscript of the Roman de Kanor, of the 13th century, has the same sense.[2] Littré quotes Aldebrandin: d'autres coses ki nous sont invisibles “other things that are invisible to us”.[8] The Anglo-Norman Dictionary has the word from 1267.[9]

Semantic evolution

From the start the adjective was used both of what cannot be seen by nature and, figuratively, of what lies beyond human knowledge.[3] Of a person, it meant one who keeps out of sight (1606 in the Dictionnaire historique, 1668 in Racine's Plaideurs for the TLFi), and especially one who will not receive visitors (1798, Académie).[3][2][6] It was used as a noun, l'invisible, in opposition to le visible, from the mid-17th century.[3]

The literal sense has narrowed towards “too small to be seen”, as in le monde invisible.[3] H. G. Wells's novel The Invisible Man made the figure of the invisible man widely known.[3][10] The adverb invisiblement is literary.[3]

Timeline

  • 1256 – Aldebrandin de Sienne uses it for what escapes sight.[2]
  • 1267 – Earliest Anglo-Norman record.[9]
  • Early 14th century – The adverb invisiblement.[2]
  • 1560 – The noun invisibilité.[4]
  • 1668 – Racine uses it of a person who keeps out of sight.[2]
  • Mid-17th century – The noun l'invisible.[3]
  • 1798 – The Académie records être invisible pour quelqu'un, to refuse to receive someone.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. That cannot be seen by nature, invisible: un esprit invisible, invisible à l'œil nu.[10][2]
  2. Hardly seen, barely noticeable: une couture invisible.[10][6]
  3. (of a person) Who keeps out of sight or cannot be met; who will not receive visitors: notre voisin est invisible depuis un mois.[10][8]
  4. (figurative) Beyond the senses; supernatural: des forces invisibles.[2][3]

Noun

  1. L'invisible: what cannot be seen, as opposed to the visible world.[10][3]
  2. (commerce, plural) Les invisibles: invisible items, such as services, in the balance of payments.[10]

Word family

  • invisiblement
  • invisibilité

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 801b
  6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  10. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert