luxe

Forms

luxe m (plural luxes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin luxus (“excess, debauchery, splendour, pomp”), a late borrowing.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} The TLFi dates it to 1607, in Crespin's trilingual “Thresor”;^[2][5][6][7] Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the GLLF give 1606.^[2][5][6][7] Rey suggests that the Latin noun may belong with the adjective of the same form meaning “dislocated” (the source of luxer), so that its first sense would have been “growing crooked” and then “growing to excess”; the moral sense lived on in luxuria, the source of luxure.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, in 1607, is of a way of life marked by great spending to show off elegance and refinement.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From the way of life the word passed in 1661, in Molière's École des maris, to the quality of something costly and refined, often in the phrase de luxe (1757 in d'Argenson), and by 1797 to a costly, superfluous object or pleasure.^[2][4] From the 17th century luxury itself was criticized, and the 18th-century philosophes debated it with economists who saw it as a source of shared wealth and work, the “quarrel of luxury”.^[4]

A figurative sense “superfluity” is recorded in 1802, behind the familiar c'est du luxe “it is unnecessary” (1867), while ce n'est pas du luxe says that something is needed.^[4][2][7] The sense “excessive quantity” appears in 1801, as in un luxe de végétation.^[2] The GLLF dates se donner le luxe de to Victor Hugo (1853) and the taxe de luxe to 1917.^[7]

Timeline

• 1606 – First date in Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert.^[5][6]
• 1607 – Crespin's Thresor records the sense “lavish way of life”.^[2]
• 1661 – Molière uses it of costly, refined things (vêtements de luxe).^[2][4]
• 1757 – The phrase de luxe is found in d'Argenson.^[4]
• 1797 – It names a costly, superfluous pleasure.^[2]
• 1801 – Crèvecœur uses it for an excessive quantity.^[2]
• 1802 – Bonald uses it for what is superfluous or useless.^[2][4]
• 1839 – Flaubert uses de luxe for something of very high quality.^[8][7]
• 1867 – C'est du luxe “it is unnecessary” is recorded.^[4][7]
• 1917 – The taxe de luxe appears in the Bulletin des lois.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. luxury, a way of life marked by great spending on superfluous goods, out of a taste for ostentation and comfort.^[9][2][10]
2. (familiar) C'est du luxe: it is an unreasonable expense or effort, ce n'est pas du luxe: it is really needed.^[9][7]
3. The costly, sumptuous character of a thing or service.^[9] De luxe: expensive, high-quality, as in articles de luxe, édition de luxe.^[9][10]
4. Un luxe: a costly pleasure one allows oneself without need.^[9][10] Se payer le luxe de: to allow oneself something unusual.^[9][10]
5. Un luxe de: a great or excessive quantity of something, profusion: un grand luxe de détails.^[9][11][4]

Word family

• luxueux

Related words

• luxure
• luxuriant
• luxer
• Latin luxus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 481a
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ 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
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 d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette