placide

Forms

placide (plural placides)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin placidus (“calm, peaceful”),^[2][3][4][1] an adjective derived from placeō (“to please”).^[3][5][6][7] In Latin the adjective no longer meant “pleasing”: under the influence of the causative plācō (“to calm, appease”) it had come to mean “appeased”, close to lēnis (“gentle”) and quiētus (“quiet”).^[3] The Grand Robert also sees the influence of pāx (“peace”).^[5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record, in the 1495 edition of Jean de Vignay's Miroir historial, calls calmness the mark of the magnanimous man: Le propre de l'homme magnanime s'est estre placide et transquille (“it is proper to the magnanimous man to be placid and tranquil”).^[9][2] Rey dates the borrowing to 1444, the date of a translation that also uses it as a noun.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

After Cotgrave recorded it in 1611 the word seems to have dropped out of use for two centuries.^[3][2][4] It was revived at the start of the 19th century (Boiste, 1803) and became common for a calm person or behaviour, perhaps helped by its likeness to paisible and pacifique.^[3][2] By extension it describes an animal, a natural element such as water, or a look or smile that shows calm.^[2][10] English took placid in the 1620s, partly from the French word.^[11]

Timeline

• 1444 – Date of the translation of Gilles Colonne's Gouvernement des princes that uses it as a noun.^[2][3]
• 1495 – The printed Miroir historial of Jean de Vignay uses the adjective.^[2][5]
• Before 1525 – Jean Lemaire de Belges uses it of something showing calm.^[10]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records placide and placidement.^[2][6][3]
• 1620s – English borrows it as placid.^[11]
• 1803 – Boiste records the word again after two centuries of disuse.^[2][3]
• 1817 – Mme de Staël revives the noun placidité.^[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a person or animal: calm, gentle, not reacting violently: un chien placide.^[8][2][7]
2. Showing such calm: un regard placide.^[8][10][7]
3. Of water or another natural element: still, peaceful.^[2]

Word family

• placidement

Related words

• placidité
• plaire
• Latin placidus

References

1. ^ a b c 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 c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Godefroy, Frédéric (1881–1902), Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle, 10 vols., Paris: Vieweg / Bouillon
10. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com