foi French · revision 16654

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (feit)|origins=la fīdō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fwa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''foi''' ''f'' (plural fois)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''feid'' (about 1050), ''feit'', ''fei'' (12th century); ''foi'' from the 12th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|fei]], [[inh|la|fidēs|t=trust, confidence; good faith, loyalty; promise]], which in Christian Latin took the sense “faith in God”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 503a)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word belongs with [[m|la|fīdō|t=to trust]] and [[m|la|foedus|t=treaty]], and Rey and the Petit Robert trace it to the Indo-European root [[ine-pro|*bʰeydʰ-|t=to trust; to persuade]], also seen in [[en|bid]] and [[de|bitten]], Littré compares [[grc|πείθω|tr=peíthō|t=to persuade]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|fede]], [[oc|fe]], [[ca|fe]], [[es|fe]], [[pt|fé]] and [[br|feiz]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has ''feit'' for faith in God: ''Quer feit i ert e justice ed amur'' “for there was faith there, and justice and love”.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 11th century the word has its two basic values of commitment and belief.^(DHLF 1992) In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it is a pledge of loyalty, ''par amor et par feid''; in the feudal system ''foi'' was the oath of fealty of a vassal, as in ''foi et hommage'' (Furetière, 1690).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''Bone foi'' “good faith” is in Gace Brulé (1181–86), ''male foi'' in Beaumanoir (1283), and ''faire foi'' “to be evidence” in 1283; the oath ''par ma foi'' (12th century) gave ''ma foi'' (late 16th century).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The sense “trust in someone's word” is in Chrétien de Troyes (1180–91), with ''ajouter foi'' (1541) and ''digne de foi''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Calvin (1539) uses ''la vraye Foy Chrestienne'' for the doctrine itself, Corneille has ''article de foi'' (1632), and Madame de Staël (1817) extends it to any firm conviction.^(TLFi) Proverbial phrases include ''la foi du charbonnier'' “simple faith” and ''n'avoir ni foi ni loi'' (1667, Boileau).^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – ''Feit'' “faith in God”, ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – A pledge of loyalty, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1181–1186 – ''Bone foi'', Gace Brulé.^(TLFi)

+ * 1283 – ''Male foi'', ''faire foi'', Beaumanoir.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1539 – The Christian doctrine, Calvin.^(TLFi)

+ * 1632 – ''Article de foi'', Corneille.^(TLFi)

+ * 1667 – ''N'avoir ni foi ni loi'', Boileau.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|faith]], religious belief: ''avoir la foi'', ''perdre la foi'', ''profession de foi''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Trust, confidence: ''avoir foi en quelqu'un'', ''ajouter foi à'', to believe, ''digne de foi'', trustworthy.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Bonne foi, mauvaise foi'': good faith, bad faith: ''être de bonne foi''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated)'' A pledge, word: ''sur la foi de'', on the strength of, ''faire foi'', to be authentic evidence, ''(feudalism)'' fealty: ''foi et hommage''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Ma foi'': well, indeed: ''ma foi oui''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Sans foi ni loi'': without scruples.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[féal]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fidèle]]

+ * [[fiancer]]

+ * [[confiance]]

+ * [[perfide]]

+ * [[la|fidēs]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}