Etymologically
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opinion

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Pronunciation

  • /ɔ.pi.njɔ̃/[1]

Forms

opinion f (plural opinions)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin opīniō (“conjecture, belief, idea one forms of a thing”),[2][3] a derivative of opīnor (“to think, suppose”), which gave the verb opiner.[2][4][5] In Latin the word rendered the philosophical sense of Ancient Greek δόξα (dóxa) and, for want of a noun from crēdō (“to believe”), took the sense “belief”, often an imaginary or mistaken one; it also came to mean “reputation”, like fāma.[5]

Cognate with Old Occitan opinio, Spanish opinión and Italian opinione.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record, in the Dialogues of Saint Gregory translated about 1200, uses it for the feeling or view one has of something.[2][8] Brunetto Latini's Trésor (13th century) already sets opinions “of truth or of falsehood” against choice.[6]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the word named a person's intellectual position in a given field (about 1283), and for a time a hypothesis or theory (1314), before it came to be kept out of science.[5] The sense of a judgement of worth passed on someone or something dates from about 1265, with the phrases avoir mauvaise opinion (1580) and avoir bonne opinion de quelqu'un or de soi (1656, Molière).[5][8] In Middle French law it was the view a member gave in a deliberation (15th century).[5]

From the 16th century the word took a collective value, the ideas shared by a group (1563): opinion publique appears in Montaigne about 1590, and l'opinion used alone in 1762.[5][2] The 20th century added liberté d'opinion (1936) and délit d'opinion (1959).[8][5]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – First recorded in the Dialogues of Saint Gregory.[2]
  • c. 1265 – Used of a judgement of worth on someone.[5][8]
  • 1314 – Found in the sense “hypothesis”.[5]
  • 1538 – Robert Estienne records it as a good or bad judgement on a person or thing.[2]
  • c. 1590 – Opinion publique in Montaigne's Essais.[2][5]
  • 1656 – Avoir bonne opinion de soi in Molière.[8]
  • 1762 – L'opinion used alone for public opinion.[5]
  • 1936 – Liberté d'opinion recorded.[8][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An opinion, a personal way of thinking or judgement on a question, which may be mistaken.[9][10][2]
  2. A view given in a deliberation or a debate.[6][10]
  3. Avoir bonne (or mauvaise) opinion de: to think well (or badly) of someone or something.[10][5]
  4. Opinions (plural): a person's convictions, especially political or religious ones.[9][5]
  5. L'opinion, l'opinion publique: the ideas and attitudes that prevail in a society, public opinion.[10][5]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 373a
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)