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jeunesse

Etymology and origin of the French word jeunesse

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1155, Wace, Brut (juenvlesce)
Ultimate origin
Latin (iuvenis)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French jeune
French jeunesse

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʒœ.nɛs/[1]

Forms

jeunesse f (plural jeunesses)[1] Old French juenvlesce (1155), joefnesce (about 1160–70), junesce, jonesce, jeunesse from the 14th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French jeune + -esse, on the old forms of the adjective,[2][3][5][4][1][6] like sagesse from sage.[7] jeune continues Latin iuvenis (“young”).[6] Wiktionary considers a Vulgar Latin *iuvenitia less likely; the TLFi follows the FEW in seeing the sense “young girl” as originally a feminine form of the adjective.[1][2] Compare Romanian junețe and Italian giovinezza.[8][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Brut (1155) uses juenvlesce for the period of life between childhood and maturity, and for the state of being young.[2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it also meant an act worthy of a young person (about 1250), often close to “folly, rash deed”, and pejoratively ses pechiez et ses jeunesses (second half of the 14th century); Adam de la Halle has joneche “inexperience”.[2][3] From Montaigne (1588) it is said of youthfulness kept into old age.[2][3]

Collectively, la jeunesse is the young (1377, Miracles de Notre-Dame), and familiarly une jeunesse a young girl (Vauquelin de La Fresnaye, before 1605, Racine, 1668).[2][3] Il faut que jeunesse se passe is in Madame de Sévigné (1683), and n'être plus de la première jeunesse is found in 1792.[4][9]

Timeline

  • 1155 – Juenvlesce, Wace.[2]
  • c. 1250 – “A youthful act”.[2]
  • Third third of the 13th century – “Inexperience”, Adam de la Halle.[2]
  • 1377 – “The young” collectively.[2]
  • 1588 – Youthfulness in old age, Montaigne.[2]
  • Before 1605 – “A young girl”.[2]
  • 1683 – Il faut que jeunesse se passe, Madame de Sévigné.[4]
  • 1792 – Pas de la première jeunesse.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. youth, the time of life between childhood and maturity: dans ma jeunesse, erreur de jeunesse, n'être plus de la première jeunesse, to be no longer young.[10][1]
  2. The state of being young; youthfulness, freshness, vigour.[2][3]
  3. La jeunesse: young people.[2][3]
  4. (familiar, dated) Une jeunesse: a young girl.[2][3]
  5. Il faut que jeunesse se passe: youth must have its fling.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Jeunesse.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/jeunesse. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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