Etymologically
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violent

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /vjɔ.lɑ̃/[1]

Forms

violent (feminine violente, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin violentus (“vehement, impetuous; violent”), derived, like violō (“to violate”), from vīs (“force, strength; violence”).[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary treats the Old French adjective as already borrowed.[1] Cognate with Old Occitan violent, Spanish violento and Italian violento.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Faits des Romains (about 1213) use it for an impetuous person who acts or speaks without restraint.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

In 1314 the surgeon Henri de Mondeville speaks of medecines corrosives et violentes, having an intense power of action; the sense was extended to winds (1601), to impressions on the senses (Ronsard, 1564, Montaigne, 1588) and to death by accident or murder, morts violentes (Ronsard, 1555).[2][6] Ronsard (1563) uses it for efforts requiring force.[2] In familiar use since Molière (1671) it means excessive, as of a price.[2][7] The noun use, un violent, is found in Guez de Balzac (1631).[2] The verb violenter dates from the 14th century and violence from 1215.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1213 – In the Faits des Romains.[2]
  • 1314 – Mondeville: of strong remedies.[2]
  • 1555 – Ronsard: morts violentes.[2]
  • 1588 – Montaigne: impressions violentes.[2]
  • 1631 – The noun, in Guez de Balzac.[2]
  • 1671 – Molière: “excessive”.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of a person, violent, quick to use force; hot-tempered: un caractère violent.[8][1]
  2. Marked by brutality or force: une révolution violente, mort violente, death by accident or murder.[8]
  3. Very strong, intense, severe: des vents violents, une douleur violente.[8][1]
  4. Requiring great force or effort: un effort violent.[2][7]
  5. (familiar) Excessive.[2][7]

Noun

  1. A violent person.[8][2]

Word family

  • violenter

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 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 487a
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert