mystifier

Forms

mystifier^[1]

Etymology

It is a jocular formation from French μύστης (mústēs, “one initiated into the mysteries”) + -ifier + lang1=grc.^[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary instead derives it from the Latin form mysta.^[1] The word arose in the playful societies of the mid-18th century, where mock initiations were staged at the expense of credulous people; the best known victim was the writer Poinsinet, who was even made to believe that the King of Prussia wanted him to tutor the crown prince.^[5][3][6] Littré thought its makers may have remembered the 16th-century words mistigouri and mystigorfier, of unknown formation, and rejected Latin maestificō (“to sadden”) as the source.^[6] It is related to mystère and mystique.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as a past participle in 1760, in Favart's memoirs and letters, and as an infinitive in 1764 in Grimm's Correspondance littéraire, meaning to fool a naive person for amusement.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was to deceive someone by abusing his credulity in order to laugh at him.^[3][2] From 1831 (Balzac) it was also used of misleading a person or a whole public by distorting or embellishing reality, and in current use it mostly means to deceive collectively on an intellectual or moral level.^[3][2] The verb soon gave mystification (1768) and mystificateur (1770);^[5][3] the opposite démystifier was coined by Sartre in 1948.^[3] English mystify (1798) was taken from the French verb.^[7]

Timeline

• 1760 – First recorded, as the past participle, in Favart.^[2]
• 1764 – The infinitive appears in Grimm's Correspondance littéraire.^[2][4]
• 1768 – Diderot's Mystification gives the first record of the noun.^[2][3]
• 1770 – Mystificateur is recorded.^[5][3]
• 1798 – English mystify is first recorded.^[7]
• 1831 – Balzac uses it of deceiving a whole people.^[2][3]
• 1948 – Sartre coins démystifier.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To fool or hoax someone by abusing his credulity, usually to laugh at him: Ses camarades l'ont mystifié avec une fausse lettre.^[8][2]
2. To deceive a person or a public by distorting or embellishing reality: mystifier les électeurs.^[2][8]

Word family

• mystification
• mystificateur
• démystifier

Related words

• mystère
• mystique
• Ancient Greek μύστης (mústēs)

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert