Etymologically
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nerveux

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /nɛʁ.vø/[1]

Forms

nerveux (feminine nerveuse, masculine plural nerveux, feminine plural nerveuses)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin nervōsus (“sinewy, muscular; vigorous”), from nervus (“sinew”) (see nerf).[2][3][4][1] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert describe it as a learned derivative of the French noun modelled on the Latin word.[5][6] Its senses developed in parallel with those of the noun.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 13th century it meant “made mainly of tendons”: Aldebrandin of Siena (1256) says that one whose neck is thick, strong and bien nerveux is quick to anger.[2][4][7]

Semantic evolution

Following the old anatomy that did not distinguish nerves from tendons, it meant “sinewy, muscular”: Garnier (1573) has it of muscles standing out under the skin, and of a strong, vigorous person (1574).[2][7] Du Bellay (1549) uses it figuratively of vigorous verse, the origin of style nerveux.[2][6]

With the modern notion of the nerves it came to mean “relating to the nerves” (fibres nerveuses, 1678) and système nerveux (1754).[2] In 1789 it was said of a person dominated by irritable nerves, and Maine de Biran (1816) speaks of a état nerveux; from these come the common senses “nervous, anxious” and “excitable”.[2][4] A car with good acceleration is called nerveuse.[6]

Timeline

  • 1256 – Aldebrandin of Siena.[4][5]
  • 1549 – Of vigorous verse, in Du Bellay.[2]
  • 1573 – Of muscles standing out, in Garnier.[2]
  • 1678 – Fibres nerveuses, in Lamy.[2]
  • 1754 – Système nerveux.[2]
  • 1789 – Of a person with irritable nerves.[2]
  • 1816 – État nerveux, in Maine de Biran.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to the nerves: cellule nerveuse, système nerveux, dépression nerveuse.[6][4]
  2. Nervous, edgy, easily excited or irritated.[1][4]
  3. Sinewy, with strong, visible tendons: des mains nerveuses; of meat, stringy.[6][8]
  4. Vigorous, full of energy; of a car, responsive; of a style, terse and forceful.[6][8]

Noun

  1. A nervous, excitable person.[9][6]

Word family

  • nerveusement
  • nervosisme
  • nervosité

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF