parfait French · revision 16792

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=second half of the 10th century, Vie de saint Léger (perfectus)|origins=la perficiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /paʁ.fɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''parfait''' (feminine parfaite, masculine plural parfaits, feminine plural parfaites)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''parfit'' (about 1050), ''parfet'', ''parfait'' from about 1155.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873) Feminine ''parfaite''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[inh|la|perfectus|t=finished, complete, perfect]], the past participle used as an adjective of [[m|la|perficiō|t=to finish, complete]], from [[m|la|per-]] and [[m|la|faciō|t=to make]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)^(FEW|8, 237a) The Latin word regularly gave Old French [[m|fro|parfit]]; under the influence of [[parfaire]] forms of the modern type were added, and won out.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) Wiktionary instead calls it a calque of the Latin word built on [[par-]] and [[fait]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The grammatical noun (1596) is a Frenchification of the Latin grammarians' [[m|la|perfectum]] after the adjective, and [[plus-que-parfait]] (Meigret, 1550) follows the Latin grammarians' term.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) Compare [[pro|perfeit]], [[ca|perfet]], [[es|perfecto]], [[pt|perfeito]] and [[it|perfetto]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Léger'' (second half of the 10th century) has ''perfectus fud en carité'', “he was perfect in charity”; the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has ''parfite amor'', “perfect love”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense is “accomplished, ideal in its kind or condition”, and by weakening ''parfite amur'' “great love” (Marie de France, about 1170), whence Furetière's ''filer le parfait amour'' (1690).^(TLFi) From the 13th century it means “total, complete” (''joie parfite''), and in the 15th ''traistre parfait'' a thorough traitor, ''nombre parfait'' is a term of arithmetic (15th century).^(TLFi) Wace (about 1145) uses it of a person without sin, a saint, and ''li parfès'' were the Cathar perfects of southern France (1225).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Technical uses followed: ''accord parfait'' in music (Furetière, 1690), the ''insecte parfait'' (1765) and ''bois parfait'' (1737).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) As an interjection ''c'est parfait'' is found in 1808 and ''parfait !'' in 1831.^(TLFi) The noun ''un parfait'', an iced dessert, is recorded in 1869.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd half of the 10th century – ''Perfectus'', ''Vie de saint Léger''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – ''Parfite amor'', ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1155 – The form ''parfait'', Wace.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1225 – ''Parfait'', a Cathar perfect.^(TLFi)

+ * 1550 – [[plus-que-parfait]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1596 – The grammatical tense.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1690 – ''Accord parfait''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1808 – ''C'est parfait''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1869 – An iced dessert.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|perfect]], flawless, as good as can be: ''en parfaite santé'', ''crime parfait'', ''on n'est pas parfait'', nobody's perfect.^(BHVF)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Complete, absolute, total.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(interjection)'' ''Parfait !'', ''c'est parfait'': very good, excellent.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(technical)'' Fully developed: ''insecte parfait'', ''accord parfait'', perfect chord, ''nombre parfait''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(grammar)'' The perfect tense.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # A parfait, an iced dessert.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ # ''(history)'' A Cathar perfect.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[parfaitement]]

+ * [[plus-que-parfait]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[imparfait]]

+ * [[parfaire]]

+ * [[perfection]]

+ * [[fait]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}