Etymologically
Log in

silencieux

Etymology and origin of the French word silencieux

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1524
Borrowed from
Latin silentiosus
Ultimate origin
Latin (silentium)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /si.lɑ̃.sjø/[1]

Forms

silencieux (feminine silencieuse, masculine plural silencieux, feminine plural silencieuses)[1] The Académie wrote silentieux in 1694 and 1718, silencieux from 1740.[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin silentiōsus (“silent”), from silentium (“silence”) (see silence).[2][3][4][1] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it to 1524; the TLFi's first record is from 1527.[3][5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It was first used of things and places: in Dassy's translation of the Peregrin (1527) it means “where silence and calm reign”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Cotgrave (1611) records it of a person who keeps silent, and Madame de Sévigné (1688) uses it as a noun.[2][4] About 1800 Marie-Joseph Chénier applies it to what makes no noise.[2][5]

As a noun, une silencieuse was a quiet sewing machine (1877); un silencieux has been the silencer of an engine's exhaust since 1898, and of a firearm since about 1950.[2][6] La majorité silencieuse is a phrase of modern politics.[5]

Timeline

  • 1524 – First record, of things.[3][5]
  • 1527 – “Where silence reigns”, in Dassy.[2]
  • 1611 – “Who keeps silent”, in Cotgrave.[2]
  • c. 1800 – “That makes no noise”, in Chénier.[2]
  • 1898 – The silencer of an engine.[6][2]
  • c. 1950 – The silencer of a firearm.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Where silence and calm reign: un quartier silencieux.[5][7]
  2. Silent, quiet; making no sound: un moteur silencieux.[5][1]
  3. Of a person, keeping silent; taciturn: rester silencieux, la majorité silencieuse.[5][7]

Noun

  1. A silencer (of a firearm); a muffler on an exhaust, (North America) an exhaust pipe.[8][1]

Word family

  • silencieusement

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  7. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Silencieux.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/silencieux. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·