Etymologically
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malade

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ma.lad/[1]

Forms

malade (plural malades)[1] Old French malabde, then malade (1155).[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French malabde, inherited from Latin male habitus (“in poor condition”), a phrase of imperial Latin (Aulus Gellius quotes “equum male habitum”, “a horse in bad condition”), from male (“badly”) and habitus, the past participle of habeō in the sense “to be in a certain state”.[2][3][4][5] It drove out classical aeger, later “aegrōtus”, and morbidus.[3][4][2] Littré derived it from “male aptus” “unfit”, an explanation since abandoned.[6]

Cognate with Italian malato, Occitan malaut and Catalan malalt.[7][2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

As malabde it is found in the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century), for someone whose health is impaired; the form malade is in Wace (1155), and the noun is dated 1126 by the Grand Robert.[2][3][8]

Semantic evolution

Guillaume de Machaut (1357) has it figuratively, cuers qui d'amours sont malades (“hearts sick with love”).[2] In 1549 Robert Estienne applies it to a lawsuit in a bad way, Ronsard (1552) to reason, and Palissy (1563) to trees.[2] In the 17th century it was used of a diseased organ (1611), a damaged thing (1640) and a spoilt wine (1690), and être malade was also a euphemism for menstruating.[3]

The noun is common, as in grand malade, and about 2000 comme un malade came to mean “like mad”.[3] Familiarly un malade is also a madman or a fanatic: des malades du golf.[1][9] The derivative maladie dates from about 1150.[3]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – Malabde in the Passion de Clermont.[2]
  • c. 1150 – The derivative maladie.[3]
  • 1155 – The form malade, in Wace.[2]
  • 1357 – Malade d'amour, figuratively, in Machaut.[2]
  • 1549 – Of a lawsuit, in Robert Estienne.[2]
  • 1563 – Of plants, in Palissy.[2]
  • c. 2000 – Comme un malade “like mad”.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. ill, sick, unwell: gravement malade, tomber malade.[10][11]
  2. (of an animal or plant) Diseased, (of an organ) affected: une dent malade.[9]
  3. Feeling sick: être malade en voiture.[9]
  4. (figurative) In a bad way: une entreprise malade.[3][12]
  5. (informal) Crazy, mad.[1]

Noun

  1. A sick person, a patient.[1][2]
  2. (familiar) A fanatic: un malade du golf.[9]
  3. Comme un malade: like mad.[3]

Word family

  • maladie
  • maladif
  • garde-malade
  • Latin male habitus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ 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. 6/1, 87b
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse