moral

Forms

moral m (plural moraux)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin mōrālis (“relating to manners or customs”), a word specialised in scholastic Latin, derived from mōs (“custom, manner”), used in the plural for “morals”.^[2][3][4] The same Latin noun is the source of mœurs.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1212 Frère Angier names Gregory the Great's commentary on Job li Moral; the adjective appears in Brunetto Latini's Tresor (1270) in vertu morale, a virtue guided by the light of reason.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective then qualified what concerns or conforms to morals (Oresme, 1370–1372), and the philosophical study of them, philosophie morale (1403, Eustache Deschamps).^[3][2] Only in the classical period did it take the practical sense “conforming to good morals” (Académie, 1694) and “of good morals” (1764).^[2] The 17th and 18th centuries added “founded on opinion or belief rather than strict proof” (1694), now dated, and, in the contrast of mind and matter, “relating to the mind” (Diderot, 1746).^[2][3]

As a masculine noun, le moral was the whole of the mental faculties (Diderot, 1752), surviving in au moral as opposed to au physique.^[2][3] The sense “ethics” (1775) has aged, and today le moral is the state of mind that lets one bear difficulties (Las Cases, 1823), with avoir bon moral, avoir le moral à zéro and similar phrases.^[2][3] The feminine noun morale was abstracted from philosophie morale in 1637.^[2]

Timeline

• 1212 – Li Moral, title of Gregory's Moralia, in Frère Angier.^[3]
• 1270 – Vertu morale in Brunetto Latini.^[3]
• 1370–1372 – “Conforming to morals” in Oresme.^[3]
• 1403 – Philosophie morale in Eustache Deschamps.^[3]
• 1694 – The Académie records “founded on opinion, not on fact”.^[3]
• 1746 – “Relating to the mind” in Diderot.^[3]
• 1752 – The noun le moral, the mental faculties.^[3]
• 1823 – Le moral, morale, in Las Cases.^[3][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Relating to morals, to the rules of conduct accepted in a society: sens moral, the sense of right and wrong.^[6][8]
2. Relating to the philosophical study of morality, ethical.^[6]
3. In keeping with accepted morals; edifying.^[6][3]
4. Relating to the mind or spirit, as opposed to the physical: douleur morale.^[3][6]
5. (law) Personne morale: a legal person, an incorporeal entity.^[1][6]

Noun

1. The mental faculties, the psyche: au physique et au moral.^[9][2]
2. Morale: the state of mind that lets one face difficulties: avoir le moral, remonter le moral à quelqu'un.^[9][1]

Word family

• moralement
• moraliser
• moraliste
• moralisme
• amoral
• immoral
• immoraliste
• démoraliser

Related words

• mœurs
• morale
• moralité
• Latin mōrālis

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)