Etymologically
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nonchalant

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /nɔ̃.ʃa.lɑ̃/[1]

Forms

nonchalant (feminine nonchalante, masculine plural nonchalants, feminine plural nonchalantes)[1]

Etymology

It is the present participle, used as an adjective, of the Old French verb nonchaloir (“not to care about”),[2][1][3] formed from non (“not”) and chaloir (“to matter, concern”).[4][5][1] Chaloir comes from Latin caleō (“to be warm”), which in popular Latin took the sense “to matter, interest”, the step being “to grow warm about something”.[6][7] Chaland “customer”, earlier “friend, protector”, is from the same verb.[6][7] Littré compares Berry nonchaleux and Provençal nonchalen.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert and the GLLF date it to about 1265, in Jean de Meun; the TLFi cites a manuscript of 1294 and the Lai des Amants of the late 13th century.[3][8][2] The Anglo-Norman Dictionary has nunchalant “negligent, careless” in a text of about 1136–65.[9]

Semantic evolution

In Old and Middle French it meant careless, negligent, and was used with de for one who does not care about something: Oresme (about 1370) and Montaigne, who wanted death to find him nonchalant d'elle.[5][8] The sense of slow, languid movements and attitudes is recorded from 1668, in Molière.[8]

English borrowed nonchalant in 1734.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 1136–65 – Anglo-Norman nunchalant “negligent” is recorded.[9]
  • c. 1265 – Jean de Meun uses the word.[3][8]
  • c. 1370 – Oresme writes nonchalant de, “not caring about”.[8][5]
  • 1668 – Molière uses it of languid movements and attitudes.[8]
  • 1734 – English borrows the word.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Lacking zeal or energy out of indifference; indolent, easy-going: un écolier nonchalant.[4][10]
  2. Slow and languid in movement: une démarche nonchalante.[4][8]
  3. (dated) Nonchalant de: not caring about.[8]

Noun

  1. A nonchalant person.[10][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b 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. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)