scrupuleux

Forms

scrupuleux (feminine scrupuleuse, masculine plural scrupuleux, feminine plural scrupuleuses)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French scrupule + -eux, after Latin scrūpulōsus (“rough, stony; meticulous, scrupulous”).^[2][3][4] Littré, the Petit Robert and Wiktionary take it directly from the Latin adjective, a derivative of scrūpulus.^[5][6][1] In classical Latin the adjective meant “rough, stony”; the senses “meticulous” and “scrupulous” appear in the imperial period.^[3]

The TLFi dates its first record to 1382, while the Grand Robert, the GLLF and the Petit Robert place it at the end of the 13th century.^[2][7][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1382 Philippe de Mézières writes of consciences scrupuleuses, consciences troubled by moral doubts.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its senses developed in step with those of scrupule.^[3] It first described a person prone to anxieties of conscience; from the 16th century it also described things that show a strict conscience (1541 according to Rey, 1580 in Montaigne according to the TLFi).^[3][2] The sense “meticulous, exact” is recorded by Estienne in 1549, and its use for work done with minute care dates from 1680 (Richelet) or 1685 (Bossuet).^[2][3][4] Quemada's datings find this last use in Cotgrave as early as 1611.^[8]

The construction être scrupuleux à with an infinitive, “to take great care to”, recorded in 1680, has gone out of use.^[3] As a noun, un scrupuleux “a scrupulous person” is found from 1762, almost always with a note of blame.^[3][5] English scrupulous (mid-15th century) came from the Anglo-Norman form and directly from Latin.^[9]

Timeline

• 1382 – Consciences scrupuleuses appears in Philippe de Mézières.^[2]
• 1541 – First applied to things.^[3]
• 1549 – Estienne records the sense “meticulous”.^[2][3]
• 1580 – Montaigne uses it of a thing that shows a strict conscience.^[2]
• 1680 – Richelet records the sense “done with rigorous exactness”.^[2]
• 1762 – First used as a noun.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Having scruples, anxious and exacting in moral matters, conscientious;^[6][5][2] peu scrupuleux: not particular about the means used.^[6][5][2]
2. Of a thing: showing a strict sense of morality: scrupuleuse honnêteté.^[6][2]
3. Meticulous, exact, careful to follow rules or instructions to the letter.^[6][2][1]

Noun

1. A scrupulous person, often with a note of blame.^[5][4]

Word family

• scrupuleusement

Related words

• scrupule
• Latin scrūpulōsus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com