pessimiste

Forms

pessimiste m or f by sense (plural pessimistes)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin pessimus (“worst, very bad”) on the model of optimiste.^[2][3][4] The noun pessimisme had been formed on the same Latin word in 1759, as an antonym of optimisme.^[4]

The Latin adjective is the superlative of malus (“bad”), beside the comparative pejor, the source of pire.^[4] By popular descent it had given Old French pesme “very bad”, which died out in the 15th century.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded on 16 May 1789 in the Journal de Paris, as a noun, in the title of a comedy, Le Pessimiste, ou l'Homme mécontent de tout: a person inclined to be dissatisfied with the present and anxious about the future.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The word appeared in the revolutionary period, a little after pessimisme.^[4] Boiste's dictionary records it as an adjective in 1819, and also in philosophy, for the followers of the doctrine that evil outweighs good.^[2][4] Littré gives a political use: those who, in times of strife, expect good only from an excess of evil.^[5]

From 1866 (Amiel) it also qualifies things that express pessimism, such as a view of the world,^[2] and the Académie recorded the sense “relating to pessimism or its followers” in 1935.^[2][4] The adverb pessimistement (1905) is rare.^[4]

Timeline

• 1789 – Le Pessimiste, the title of a comedy, in the Journal de Paris.^[2]
• 1819 – Boiste records the adjective and the philosophical sense.^[2]
• 1866 – Amiel uses it of things that express pessimism.^[2]
• 1905 – The adverb pessimistement appears.^[4]
• 1935 – The Académie records “relating to pessimism”.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Pessimistic, inclined to be dissatisfied with the present and to fear the future, or to expect things to go badly: Après trois défaites, l'entraîneur était plutôt pessimiste.^[6][2]
2. Of things: expressing pessimism, gloomy, as in Les prévisions de la banque sont pessimistes.^[6][2][3]
3. (philosophy) Relating to philosophical pessimism or its followers.^[6][2][3]

Noun

1. A pessimist, a person who sees only the bad side of things.^[2][5]

Related words

• pessimisme
• optimiste
• pire
• Latin pessimus

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 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert