versatilité

Forms

versatilité f (plural versatilités)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French versatile + -ité.^[2][1][3] Versatile is from Latin versātilis (“turning, movable”), from versō (“to turn about”).^[3][1] The sense of adaptability was taken from English versatility, itself derived from versatile, a borrowing of the French word.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1738, in the Journal of the Marquis d'Argenson, for the quality of being changeable.^[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

From the start it has meant a lack of constancy in a person's ideas, feelings or will, and it is mostly pejorative.^[4][5][2] About 1940, in Valéry, it took on the sense of a thing's ability to adapt quickly to many uses, after English versatility; this in turn led to the anglicism versatile in the sense “adaptable”.^[4][5]

Timeline

• 1738 – First recorded in d'Argenson's Journal.^[2][3]
• c. 1940 – Valéry uses it for the ability to adapt, after English versatility.^[4][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. fickleness, inconstancy: the character of someone who changes opinions or feelings easily: la versatilité des électeurs.^[6][2][5]
2. (literary) The ability of a thing to adapt readily to many different uses; versatility.^[5][4]

Related words

• versatile
• inconstance
• Latin versātilis
• English versatility

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert