présomptueux

Forms

présomptueux (feminine présomptueuse, masculine plural présomptueux, feminine plural présomptueuses)^[1] Old French presuntueus and presumptueus, Middle French presumpcieux; the spelling présomptueux is recorded about 1355.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin praesūmptuōsus,^[5][6][1] derived from Latin praesūmō (“to take beforehand, presume”), the source of présumer.^[5][1][2] The Grand Robert and the GLLF derive it more precisely from the supine praesumptum.^[3][2]

Cognate with Old Occitan presomptuos, Spanish presuntuoso and Italian presuntuoso.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is about 1223, in Gautier de Coinci's Miracles de Nostre Dame, where a mouth is presumptueuse, too bold.^[5] The GLLF finds presuntueus in the Roman de Thèbes in the middle of the 12th century,^[2] and Bloch and Wartburg date the word to the 12th century.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The adjective has kept its first sense, “one who thinks too highly of himself and his abilities”.^[5][4] Oresme wrote in the 14th century that a man who thinks himself worthy of great things when he is not is presumptueux.^[4] At the end of the 14th century Froissart applied it to things that show presumption, such as words;^[5][4] as a noun, “a presumptuous person”, it is recorded from 1604.^[5]

Timeline

• Mid-12th century – Presuntueus in the Roman de Thèbes.^[2]
• c. 1223 – Gautier de Coinci uses presumptueuse.^[5]
• c. 1355 – Bersuire writes présomptueux.^[2][3]
• Late 14th century – Froissart writes of presomptieuses parolles, words showing presumption.^[5]
• 1604 – Used as a noun by Montchrestien.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. presumptuous: having too high an opinion of oneself and of one's abilities.^[7][5][4]
2. Betraying too much presumption: un ton présomptueux.^[7][5]

Noun

1. A presumptuous person.^[7][4][5]

Related words

• présumer
• présomption

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ 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
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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert