tempérament

Forms

tempérament m (plural tempéraments)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin temperāmentum (“due proportion of the parts of a whole, measure”),^[2][3][4] which in imperial Latin also stood for “the action of tempering”, from temperō (“to mix, moderate”).^[3][5][6] Compare Old Occitan temperament (“moderation, measure”), a single record of the late 13th century.^[2] The older word for “moderation” was Old French atemprement, from atemprer (“to moderate”), from Latin attemperō, in use until the 16th century.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1478, in the French version of Guy de Chauliac's surgical treatise, for the general balance of a living being's constitution;^[2][4] the Robert dictionaries note an isolated earlier record in the 13th century.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th and 17th centuries it became usual for a type of physical make-up, within the theory of humours that ruled medicine until the 18th century; by extension it came to mean a person's whole character (1649).^[3][2] From 1734 it is applied to sexual appetite, notably in erotic fiction, and avoir du tempérament (1762) meant “to be amorous” before also meaning “to have a strong personality”.^[3][2][7]

Senses closer to the Latin and to tempérer appeared in the 16th and 17th centuries: “moderation” (1522), the balance of a mixture, an arrangement or compromise (1632), and a softening (1657).^[3][2] The idea of softening survives in music, for the tuning of the scale (1636 in Mersenne), and in commerce in vente à tempérament “sale by instalments” (1867).^[2][3][7]

Timeline

• 1478 – First recorded in the French Guidon of Guy de Chauliac.^[2][4]
• 1522 – Pontus de Tyard uses it for “moderation”.^[2][6]
• 1559 – Used of the balanced make-up of plantain, a medicine.^[2]
• 1583 – Du Bartas uses it for “right proportion in a mixture”.^[2]
• 1632 – Corneille uses it for “arrangement”.^[2]
• 1636 – Mersenne uses it in music.^[2]
• 1649 – Scudéry uses it for a person's character.^[2][3]
• 1656–1657 – Pascal uses it for a softening, in the Provinciales.^[2]
• 1734 – Marivaux applies it to sexual appetite.^[2][3]
• 1762 – The Académie records avoir du tempérament.^[2][3]
• 1867 – Vente à tempérament is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1887 – Zola writes se tuer le tempérament.^[2][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Temperament, a person's nature or character: un tempérament calme.^[9][1]
2. (medicine, historical) The physical constitution of a person, as classed by the old theory of humours: tempérament sanguin, tempérament bilieux.^[10][3]
3. A strong personality, energy, drive.^[9] Avoir du tempérament: to have a strong personality, also (dated) to be amorous.^[9][3]
4. (dated, literary) Moderation; a measured solution, a compromise.^[6][2]
5. (music) Temperament, the adjustment of the intervals of the scale for tuning: tempérament égal.^[6][9]
6. (commerce) Vente à tempérament: sale by instalments, on credit.^[9][2]

Word family

• tempéramental

Related words

• tempérer
• Latin temperāmentum

References

1. ^ a b c 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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette