solitaire

Forms

solitaire (plural solitaires)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin sōlitārius (“isolated, solitary”), from sōlus (“alone”), the source of seul.^{[2][3][4][5][1][6]} Bloch and Wartburg date it to about 1155, the TLFi and the DHLF to the end of the 12th century.^[4][2][3]

Old and Middle French also had soltain (about 1160, in the Roman d'Énéas), sostain and soutain (Chrétien de Troyes), inherited from Vulgar Latin *sōlitānus, from Late Latin sōlitāneus (“separated, isolated”).^[2][4][1] A form sultif or soutif, of the same origin, took its suffix from a word meaning “clever”, a variant of soutil (see subtil), since a clever act can also be a secret one.^[2][4] These words survived until the 15th century.^[4]

Cognate with Old Occitan solitari, Spanish solitario and Italian solitario.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded at the end of the 12th century in the Sermons of Saint Gregory on Ezekiel, of a person who is alone or lives in solitude (simple et solitaire).^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the adjective already described what happens in isolation (vie solitaire, about 1200), a person who lives alone and likes it, what leads one to seek solitude (humeur solitaire), and a deserted place (lieus solitaires, Rutebeuf, 1285).^[2][3] As a noun it named, from about 1200, a hermit or monk living apart, in the 17th century especially the solitaires of Port-Royal (1680, Richelet), and more generally anyone who lives alone.^[2][3]

Of things and lower animals it came to mean “not accompanied by others of its kind”: in architecture colonne solitaire (1701, Furetière), then ver solitaire, the common name of the tapeworm (1759); it is used in botany of a single flower on an unbranched stem (1805) and in zoology of an animal living alone (1839).^[2][3][8] The noun also named a game played alone (1752), an extinct bird of the Mascarene Islands (1764), a diamond set by itself (1798) and an old boar living apart (1834).^[3][2] From solo sailing comes en solitaire.^[3]

Timeline

• Late 12th century – Solitaire in the Sermons of Saint Gregory on Ezekiel.^[2]
• c. 1200 – Vie solitaire and the noun “hermit” in the Dialogues of Saint Gregory.^[2]
• 1285 – Rutebeuf uses it of a remote place.^[2][3]
• 1680 – Richelet records les illustres solitaires de Port-Royal.^[2]
• 1701 – Furetière records colonne solitaire.^[2][8]
• 1752 – The Trévoux dictionary uses it for a game.^[2][3]
• 1759 – Ver solitaire “tapeworm” is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1798 – The Académie uses it for a single diamond.^[2][3]
• 1805 – Botanical sense, and plaisir solitaire in Cuvier.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. solitary, living alone or in solitude, and liking it: humeur solitaire.^[9][8]
2. Done or spent alone: vie solitaire.^[9][2]
3. Of a place: remote, deserted.^[2][8]
4. (botany) Of a flower: borne alone at the top of an unbranched stem.^[9][2] Ver solitaire: the tapeworm.^[9][2]

Noun

1. A person who lives alone, a loner, and formerly a hermit.^[1][2][3]
2. An old boar living apart from the herd.^[2][3]
3. A diamond set by itself, a solitaire.^[2][3]
4. A game played alone, and the board used for it.^[3][2]
5. En solitaire: alone, especially of a sea crossing.^[3]

Word family

• solitairement

Related words

• seul
• solitude
• Latin sōlitārius

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 y z 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 k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 60b
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert