sain

Forms

sain (feminine saine, masculine plural sains, feminine plural saines)^[1] Old French sain, also written sein, and Anglo-Norman sayn and seyn.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin sānus (“healthy, in good condition, sensible, reasonable”).^[2][4][5][6] Rey and the Petit Robert call the Latin adjective of unknown origin;^[7][8] Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Indo-European *swā-n- (“healthy, whole”),^[1] and Littré compared Ancient Greek σάος (sáos).^[9]

Cognate with Italian sano, Spanish sano, Occitan san, Catalan sa and Portuguese são.^[8][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is in Wace's Vie de sainte Marguerite (1130–1140), of a body in good health and unharmed, where one manuscript also has sein e sauf “safe and sound”.^[2] The Grand Robert and Rey date the word to about 1050,^[6][7] and the GLLF, whose first record is the sense “cured” in the Roman d'Eneas (about 1130), notes that the adverb sainement shows the word to be older.^[11][7]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the adjective was said of a person rid of an illness, cured (about 1145), and of one in good health (about 1155); of these uses only the opposition to malade and the phrase sain et sauf have stayed in common use.^[2][7] Rey compares sain et sauf with Italian sano e salvo and Spanish sano y salvo.^[7]

From about 1150 it was also applied to the mind and judgement: a person of sound mind, a sensible idea or opinion (about 1165).^[2][7] The phrase sain de l'entendement (1552) gave way to sain d'esprit (1694), and Pascal's saine doctrine (1662) is a theological use, “in keeping with the teaching of the Church”.^[7][2] The sense “just, loyal” of the 12th century has died out.^[7]

By analogy it was said of fruit, plants and water (about 1155) and of objects and buildings in good condition, and of what is good for the health from about 1165, a use that runs parallel to santé.^[7][2] It also meant “safe, free of danger” (about 1176), later said of a harbour or a coast.^[2][7]

Timeline

• 1130–1140 – Wace uses it of a body in good health and unharmed, with sein e sauf.^[2]
• c. 1145 – It means “cured, rid of an illness”.^[2]
• c. 1150 – The Roman de Thèbes uses it of a person of sound mind.^[2]
• c. 1160 – The Roman d'Eneas uses it of a thing that has not been damaged.^[2]
• c. 1165 – Chrétien de Troyes uses it of a sound idea or counsel, and the Roman de Troie of what is good for the health.^[2]
• c. 1176 – Chrétien's Cligès uses it for “safe, free of danger”.^[2]
• 1610 – Honoré d'Urfé writes saine raison.^[2][7]
• 1662 – Pascal writes saine doctrine.^[2][7]
• 1694 – Sain d'esprit is recorded.^[2][7]
• 1774 – Buffon uses the derivative assainir.^[7][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. healthy, in good health, free of disease (of a person, an animal, an organ).^[2][8][1]
2. Sain et sauf: safe and sound, unharmed after a danger.^[2][8]
3. Of sound mind, mentally healthy: sain d'esprit.^[2][7]
4. wholesome, good for the health of body or mind: un air sain, une vie saine.^[2][8][1]
5. (of things) In good condition, not damaged or rotten: du bois sain.^[2][11]
6. (of ideas, judgement) sound, sensible, reasonable: une saine critique.^[2][7]
7. (of a coast, a harbour) Free of hazards, safe.^[2][7]

Word family

• assainir
• malsain

Related words

• santé
• sanitaire
• sainement
• Latin sānus

Usage notes

The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert list a separate noun sain, recorded about 1210 and kept in hunting language for the fat of the wild boar and other animals; it is first saïm (as in saindoux), from Latin sagīna (“fat”), and is a different word from the adjective.^[6][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x 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. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 189a
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
11. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse