sévérité

Forms

sévérité f (plural sévérités)^[1] Old French severiteit; the modern form sévérité dates from the 16th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin sevēritās (“austerity, seriousness, rigour”), from sevērus (“severe”).^[5][2][6] The old form severiteit was remade in its modern form in the 16th century.^[2][3]

The senses “harshness of a climate”, “gravity of an illness” and “hardness of an ordeal” were taken from English severity, itself derived from severe.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as severiteit in the Dialogues of Saint Gregory (about 1200), of the rigour of God.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Taken up again in the 16th century, the word meant a lack of indulgence (1530, Palsgrave), then moral rigour (1663, Molière) and the plainness of a style (1690, Furetière).^[5][2] In the plural it named severe acts (1638, Sully).^[5]

In the 19th century, after the English word, it was used of a harsh climate (1810, Mme de Staël) and, in medicine, of the gravity of an illness (1918, Proust), a use that is criticised.^[5][2][7]

Timeline

• c. 1200 – Severiteit appears in the Dialogues of Saint Gregory.^[5]
• 16th century – The form sévérité appears.^[2]
• 1530 – Palsgrave records it for strictness.^[5]
• 1638 – Sully uses the plural for severe acts.^[5]
• 1663 – Molière uses it for moral rigour.^[5]
• 1690 – Furetière applies it to style.^[5]
• 1810 – Mme de Staël writes of the severity of the climate.^[5]
• 1918 – Proust uses it of the gravity of an illness.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Strictness, harshness, lack of indulgence: punir un élève avec sévérité.^[7][5]
2. The harshness of a penalty, judgement or measure.^[7]
3. (literary) Austerity, seriousness, plainness: la sévérité des mœurs.^[7][6]
4. The harshness of a climate.^[5][6]
5. (criticised) The gravity or dangerous character of an illness.^[7][5]

Related words

• sévère
• sévèrement
• persévérer
• Latin sevēritās

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert