irritable

Forms

irritable (plural irritables)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin irrītābilis (“irritable, easily provoked”),^[2][3][4][5] from irrītō (“to provoke, irritate”).^[6][3][4] In Christian Latin the adjective also had the active sense “that irritates”, which is the sense of the first French records.^[2][7] The physiological sense was developed in French from the medical use of irriter.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1520 in the sense “that provokes anger”,^[4][7][8] and in 1547 in Haudent's Apologues d'Esope as “irritating”, a Latinism the TLFi treats as isolated.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The active sense “that provokes anger” disappeared.^[7] In 18th-century biology the word was used of living tissue that reacts to a stimulus: in 1755 Tissot's translation of Haller's dissertation on the irritable and sensitive parts of animals used it,^[2] and the dictionaries date the biological sense to 1757.^[3][8][7] The noun irritabilité, first found as Latin irritabilitas in 1672, is recorded in biology in 1754 and in everyday use for a touchy temperament in 1778.^[7]

The common modern sense, of a person quick to anger, is recorded in 1829 by Boiste.^[2][7][8] In 1835 the Académie used it of an organ that reacts excessively and painfully to stimulation.^[4]

Timeline

• 1520 – First recorded in the sense “that provokes anger”.^[4][7]
• 1547 – Haudent uses it in the sense “irritating”.^[2]
• 1754 – Irritabilité appears as a term of biology.^[7][5]
• 1755 – Tissot's translation of Haller speaks of the irritable parts of animals.^[2]
• 1757 – The biological sense “able to react to a stimulus” is recorded.^[3][8][7]
• 1829 – Boiste records the sense “easily angered”.^[2][8][7]
• 1835 – The Académie applies it to an organ that reacts excessively.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (biology) Able to react to a stimulus.^[8][2][4]
2. Of an organ or tissue: reacting too strongly to a slight stimulus, easily inflamed.^[2][9][4]
3. Quick to lose one's temper, irascible: un patron irritable.^[8][10][6]

Word family

• irritabilité

Related words

• irriter
• irritation
• irritant
• Latin irrītābilis

References

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