monastique

Forms

monastique (plural monastiques)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin monasticus (“monastic”), recorded from the second half of the 5th century,^[2][3] which is from Ancient Greek μοναστικός (monastikós, “solitary, monastic”),^[4][2] from μοναστής (monastḗs, “monk”),^[5][6] from μονάζω (monázō, “to live alone”), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”).^[7][8]

The TLFi dates it to about 1380, in Jean Le Fèvre's “La Vieille”,^[2][5] and the DMF dates the same text before 1376;^[9] the GLLF cites a “Règle de saint Benoît” of about 1200, and the Petit Robert gives 1495.^[4][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Jean Le Fèvre's La Vieille it means “of monks, relating to monks”: the rest of the second book is en maniere monastique.^[9][11]

Semantic evolution

The adjective has kept its sense of what concerns monks and nuns, their state, their rule and their houses, and is a synonym of monacal, with the same positive and negative values.^[3][2] In the 16th century prudence monastique was also the prudence by which one governs oneself.^[12] The Académie's dictionary of 1694 records vie monastique, discipline monastique and ordres monastiques.^[13] By analogy it has been said since 1918 of what recalls the life of monks, such as austerity or simplicity.^[4][10] The adverb monastiquement dates from the 16th century.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1380 – Jean Le Fèvre uses it in La Vieille.^[2][9]
• 1495 – The Petit Robert's date of first record.^[10]
• 1495 – Godefroy quotes the word from the printed edition of Jean de Vignay's Miroir historial.^[14]
• 1611 – Cotgrave glosses it “monastical, monkish”.^[15]
• 1694 – The Académie française records it.^[13]
• 1789 – A decree of 28 October suspends the taking of vœux monastiques.^[2]
• 1918 – E. Jaloux uses it by analogy, of what recalls the life of monks.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Monastic, relating to monks and nuns, their state or their monasteries: vie monastique, ordres monastiques.^{[10][2][16][13]}
2. (by analogy) Like the life of monks: un silence monastique.^[10][4]

Word family

• monastiquement

Related words

• monastère
• moine
• monacal
• moniale
• Late Latin monasticus
• English monastic

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 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. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Tobler, Adolf; Lommatzsch, Erhard (1925–2002), Altfranzösisches Wörterbuch, 11 vols., Berlin / Wiesbaden / Stuttgart: Weidmann / Steiner
12. ^ Huguet, Edmond (1925–1967), Dictionnaire de la langue française du seizième siècle, 7 vols., Paris: Champion / Didier
13. ^ a b c Académie française (1694), Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise, 1st ed., Paris: Coignard
14. ^ Godefroy, Frédéric (1881–1902), Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle, 10 vols., Paris: Vieweg / Bouillon
15. ^ Cotgrave, Randle (1611), A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London: Adam Islip
16. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)