massif

Forms

massif (feminine massive, masculine plural massifs, feminine plural massives); as a noun, massif m (plural massifs)^[1] Old French massiz (plural, about 1150) and massis (about 1160), Picard massich (1396) for the noun; the form in -if appears in 1480.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French massiz, inherited from Vulgar Latin *massīcius, from Latin massa (“lump, mass”).^[2][4][1][5] The Vulgar Latin type is posited from Italian massiccio; it is only probable.^[2][4] The Old French ending was replaced by -if in 1480, a change of suffix also seen in clef beside cles and naïf beside nais.^[2][4] The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and the GLLF instead derive the adjective from French from masse within French.^[6][7][3] Littré traced the older masseïz to an unattested *massaticius.^[8]

The noun comes from the adjective: Bloch and Wartburg note that the medieval form massis was already used as a noun in building from the 14th century, the source of the modern noun.^[9][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The plural massiz in the Roman de Thèbes (about 1150) means “made of a solid mass”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, “solid, not hollow”, is still that of or massif “solid gold”.^[4] From it came “forming a heavy mass”, said of parts of the body in 1503, the figurative “dull, lacking finesse” of the mind in 1690, and in the 20th century “in great quantity”, as in dose massive (1914).^[2][4] A further sense, “involving a great number of people”, is recorded by the Grand Robert from Michelet.^[10]

The noun began in architecture (1546) for a mass of solid masonry, taking over from the older massich (1396) “massive structure”.^[2][4] It was then used for any compact group of things: a clump of plants (1694), a bed of flowers (1832) and, in geography, a group of mountains (1796).^[2][4]

Timeline

• c. 1150 – The plural massiz appears in the Roman de Thèbes.^[2]
• 1396 – Massich “massive structure” is recorded at Péronne.^[2][4]
• 1480 – The form massif appears, in the Baratre infernal.^[2][3]
• 1503 – Jean Lemaire de Belges writes of membres massifs.^[2]
• 1546 – The noun is used in architecture, in Jean Martin's translation of the Songe de Poliphile.^[2]
• 1584 – The adverb massivement is first recorded.^[2][4]
• 1690 – Furetière records avoir l'esprit massif, of a dull mind.^[2]
• 1694 – Massif de gazon is recorded, of a clump of turf.^[2]
• 1796 – The noun names a group of mountains.^[2][4]
• 1832 – It names a bed of flowers.^[2][4]
• 1914 – Maurras writes dose massive.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Solid, not hollow and not plated or veneered: une montre en or massif.^[7][11][2]
2. Heavy, thick or bulky in appearance: une silhouette massive.^[7][11]
3. (figurative) Lacking finesse, dull: avoir l'esprit massif.^[3][2]
4. Done or given in great quantity, or by great numbers of people, massive: dose massive, bombardement massif.^[7][2]

Noun

1. (architecture) A solid block of masonry that carries or braces a structure.^[12][2]
2. A clump of shrubs or a bed of flowers in a garden.^[12][2]
3. (geography) A massif, a group of mountains or heights forming a whole.^[12][2]

Word family

• massivement

Related words

• masse¹
• Latin massa

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 n o p q r s t u v w x y 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 452a
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
12. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)