dépit French · revision 15952

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1140, Voyage de Charlemagne|origins=la speciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /de.pi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dépit''' ''m'' (plural dépits)^(Wiktionary)

+ [[fro|despit]], ''dépit'' in the Académie from 1740.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|despit]], [[inh|la|dēspectus|t=a looking down; contempt]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 54a) the action noun of [[la|dēspiciō|t=to look down on, despise]], formed from [[m|la|dē-]] and [[m|la|speciō|t=to look]] (see [[spectacle]], [[aspect]], [[respect]] and [[répit]]).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|dispetto]], [[pro|despieit]], [[ca|despit]], [[es|despecho]] and [[pt|despeito]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Voyage de Charlemagne'' (about 1140) has ''avoir en despit'' “to despise”;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) in Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence (about 1174) ''el despit le rei'' means “in contempt of the king”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French the noun expressed contempt, as in Latin, and stood at the centre of a group of words for scorn, insolence and humiliation.^(DHLF 1992) The sense “contempt” lasted until the 16th century and survives only in ''en dépit de'' “in spite of”, comparable to ''au mépris de'' (Calvin's ''en despit qu'ils en ayent'').^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) The modern sense, vexation mixed with anger, appears in Wace (1160–1174), from the feelings of the person despised;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Bloch and Wartburg place it in the 17th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Classical French used it for violent resentment at an affront (Racine), and Molière's ''Le Dépit amoureux'' (1658) gave ''dépit amoureux''.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi) ''En dépit du bon sens'' means “all wrong”.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi) The verb ''dépiter'' dates from 1200.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1140 – ''Avoir en despit'' “to despise”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160–1174 – “Anger”, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1174 – ''El despit le rei''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1200 – ''Dépiter''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1212 – ''Dépiteux''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1658 – Molière's ''Le Dépit amoureux''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|vexation|alt=Vexation]], resentment; chagrin mixed with anger: ''pleurer de dépit'', ''par dépit'': out of pique.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Dépit amoureux'': lovers' pique.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''En dépit de'': [[m|en|in spite of]], despite, ''en dépit du bon sens'': all wrong.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' Contempt, scorn.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dépiter]]

+ * [[dépité]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[répit]]

+ * [[respect]]

+ * [[spectacle]]

+ * [[la|dēspectus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}