réflexif

Forms

réflexif (feminine réflexive, masculine plural réflexifs, feminine plural réflexives)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin reflexivus (“relating to the reflection of light, turning back on itself”), recorded in scientific Latin from 1267 and formed on the supine of reflectō (“to bend back”).^[2][3][4] The same Latin verb gave réfléchir.^[2][5] Wiktionary instead treats it as formed from French réflexe + -if.^[1]

Cognate with Occitan reflexiu, Spanish reflexivo and Italian riflessivo.^[6] English reflexive is recorded from 1588 as “able to throw back”.^[2] The sense “turned on one's own mind” follows in 1640.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cotgrave's French–English dictionary of 1611 records reflexif as a term of physics, “relating to the reflection of a body”.^[2][7][6]

Semantic evolution

The concrete sense of mechanics and optics, “that is reflected, relating to reflection”, has gone out of use.^[3] In philosophy the word came to mean “belonging to the turning of thought or consciousness back on itself”: Rey dates this to 1612, the TLFi to 1692 (Jean Du Hamel).^[3][2][7] Maine de Biran spoke of the faculté réflexive in 1815,^[2] conscience réflexive is recorded in Sartre (1943), and psychology speaks of analyse réflexive.^[3][7]

In the 20th century mathematics adopted relation réflexive for a relation linking every element of a set to itself.^[3][2] The derivative réflexivité is recorded from 1857 (Taine).^[2]

Timeline

• 1611 – Cotgrave records reflexif as a term of physics.^[2][6]
• 1692 – Jean Du Hamel uses it in philosophy.^[2][7]
• 1815 – Maine de Biran writes of the faculté réflexive.^[2]
• 1857 – First record of the derivative réflexivité, in Taine.^[2]
• 1943 – Sartre's conscience réflexive.^[7][3]
• 20th century – Relation réflexive in mathematics.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (philosophy) Relating to réflexion, the turning of thought or conscience back on itself: une méthode réflexive, l’analyse réflexive.^[5][2][8]
2. (mathematics) Of a binary relation on a set: such that every element is related to itself (relation réflexive).^[5][2][8]
3. (obsolete, physics) Relating to the reflection of a body or of light.^[7][3]

Word family

• réflexivité

Related words

• réfléchir
• réflexion
• réflexe
• Latin reflectō
• English reflexive

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 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 d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert 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. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)