magnifique French · revision 16810

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1265, Brunetto Latini, Trésor|origins=la magnus, la faciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ma.ɲi.fik/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ma.ni.fik/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''magnifique''' (plural magnifiques)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|magnificus|t=doing great things; lavish; splendid; grandiose]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|6/1, 48b)^(Wiktionary) from [[m|la|magnus|t=great]] and [[m|la|faciō|t=to make, do]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) The Latin word was said of a person who spends lavishly and has a grand manner, of a sumptuous thing and of a pompous style.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[pro|magnific]], [[es|magnífico]] and [[it|magnifico]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Brunetto Latini's ''Trésor'' (about 1265) uses it for a person who loves display and spends freely: ''l'ome ki est magnifiques est ententis par sa nature que ses afferes soient fet a grant honor et a grant despens'', “the magnificent man is inclined by nature to have his affairs done with great honour and great expense”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ French took over the Latin senses “generous, lavish” and “emphatic, pompous” of style (Bersuire, 1352–56), both now archaic except in historical uses such as ''Laurent le Magnifique''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) It was an honorific title in 1474 (''magnifiques Seigneurs'').^(TLFi) From 1504 it is applied to sumptuous, grandiose works, and by extension to anything very fine of its kind, without the idea of luxury: Olivier de Serres (1600) speaks of ''ces magnifiques animaux'', the silkworms, though this use stayed rare before the 19th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Today it is commonly a weakened “very beautiful” (1835), like ''superbe'' and ''splendide'', and familiarly it can be ironic (1808).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1265 – “Lavish”, Brunetto Latini.^(TLFi)

+ * 1352–56 – Of style, “pompous”, Bersuire.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1355 – [[magnifiquement]].^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1474 – An honorific title.^(TLFi)

+ * 1504 – “Splendid, grandiose”, Lemaire de Belges.^(TLFi)

+ * 1600 – “Very fine of its kind”, Olivier de Serres.^(TLFi)

+ * 1835 – Common “very beautiful”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|magnificent]], splendid, sumptuous: ''des palais magnifiques''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Very beautiful, superb, remarkable, excellent.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(dated)'' Lavish, fond of display, ''le Magnifique'', a title, as in ''Laurent le Magnifique''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(old)'' Of style, pompous, grandiloquent.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[magnifiquement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[magnificence]]

+ * [[magnifier]]

+ * [[la|magnificus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}