menteur

Forms

menteur m (plural menteurs, feminine menteuse)^[1] Old French menteür, menteor, menteeur, with the nominative menterre and the feminine menteresse.^[2][3][4] The feminine menteuse is found from 1594 and replaced menteresse in the 17th century.^[2][5]

Etymology

It is formed from French mentir + -eur, first as menteür in 1155.^[2][6][3] The verb is from Latin mentior (“to lie”).^[7]

The Old French nominative menterre (feminine menteresse) may go back to Vulgar Latin *mentītor, formed on the supine of the verb but attested only late.^[2][7][1] Littré explained mentiere as the nominative and menteor as the oblique case of that Latin noun.^[8] The same Latin noun is continued by Italian mentitore, Catalan mentidor and Portuguese mentidor.^[9][8] The French derivative replaced the old nominative.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Wace's Brut (1155) menteür is a man who tells lies.^[2][5] The feminine menteresse, in the sense “perjurer”, is older: Wace already uses it in his Life of St Margaret (1130–1140).^[2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective, “lying”, is found about 1200 in the songs of the Châtelain de Coucy, who speaks of a faus druz menteor “false, lying lover”;^[2][8] from 1306 it is also used of things, “false, made up”.^[2] Menteresse lasted until the early 17th century and is still used in some regional speech.^[2][5]

The comparison menteur comme un arracheur de dents is recorded from 1668;^[3] Littré explains it by the tooth-puller's promise that his patients will feel no pain.^[8] In hunting a chien menteur is a dog that hides the scent to get ahead or gives tongue falsely.^[8] Slang made la menteuse the tongue (1827), menteur a newspaper (1899) and la menteuse the political press (1930s).^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1130–1140 – The feminine menteresse “perjurer” in Wace's Life of St Margaret.^[2]
• 1155 – Menteür in Wace's Brut.^[2][3]
• c. 1200 – Menteor as an adjective, in the Châtelain de Coucy.^[2][8]
• 1306 – Used of things: “false, invented”.^[2]
• 1594 – The feminine menteuse in the Satyre Ménippée.^[2][8]
• 1668 – Menteur comme un arracheur de dents.^[3]
• 1827 – Slang la menteuse “the tongue”.^[2][5]
• 1899 – Slang menteur “newspaper”.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A liar, someone who tells lies or habitually lies: Ce garçon est un grand menteur.^[10][2][1]
2. Menteur comme un arracheur de dents: an inveterate liar.^[3][8]
3. A bluffer.^[1][10]
4. (slang, feminine) La menteuse: the tongue.^[2][5]

Adjective

1. Lying, mendacious: une enfant menteuse.^[10][1]
2. (of things) False, deceptive.^[10][2]

Related words

• mentir
• menterie
• mensonge
• démentir
• Latin mentior

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 q r s 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert