pacifier

Forms

pacifier^[1] Old French pacefier (1250); Anglo-Norman also passifyer.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin pācificō (“to negotiate peace, appease”), first as ⟨pacefier⟩ (1250), corrected to ⟨pacifier⟩ in the 13th century.^[2][4][5][6] The Latin verb is formed from pāx (“peace”) (→ paix) and faciō (“to make, do”) (→ faire).^[2][4][7] In Latin it displaced pācō, which specialized in another sense (→ payer).^[4] Compare Occitan pacificar, Spanish pacificar and Italian pacificare.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1250, in a document quoted by Godefroy, as an intransitive verb meaning “to make peace, conclude an agreement”.^[2][4][8]

Semantic evolution

The intransitive “to make peace” was usual until the 16th century;^[5] Monstrelet and Commynes still use pacifier alone in this sense.^[7] About 1265 Brunetto Latini uses it in the sense “to reconcile”.^[2][4] The modern uses arose in the 15th century: “to put an end to a disturbance or revolt” (1465, letters of Louis XI) and “to bring peace back to a country” (1487).^[2][4]

The figurative sense, “to bring inner calm”, belongs to the classical period: Molière in 1665 speaks of pacifying the troubles of the mind.^[2][4] The participles pacifié and pacifiant (1834) are used as adjectives,^[4] and in modern usage the verb can be a euphemism for putting down a rebellion.^[9] In Anglo-Norman the verb is recorded from 1307.^[3]

Timeline

• 1250 – Pacefier “to make peace” in a document quoted by Godefroy.^[2][8]
• c. 1265 – Brunetto Latini's Trésor uses it for “to reconcile”.^[2][4]
• 1307 – First Anglo-Norman record.^[3]
• 1465 – “To put an end to a disturbance”, in the letters of Louis XI.^[2][4]
• 1487 – A Latin–French vocabulary has pacifier un pays.^[2][4]
• 1665 – Molière uses it figuratively of the mind.^[2][4]
• 1834 – Pacifiant is used as an adjective.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To bring peace back to a country or a people shaken by war or rebellion;^[9][2][8] (euphemism) to restore order by putting down a revolt.^[9][2][8]
2. (figurative) To calm, to soothe: pacifier les esprits.^[9][8]
3. Se pacifier: to return to a state of peace.^[2][7]

Related words

• paix
• pacifique
• pacification
• Latin pācificō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert