innocent French · revision 16911

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland|origins=la noceo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /i.nɔ.sɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''innocent''' (feminine innocente, masculine plural innocents, feminine plural innocentes)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|innocēns|t=harmless; blameless; not guilty]], through its accusative [[m|la|innocentem]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective is formed from [[m|la|in-|t=not]] and [[m|la|nocēns|t=harmful]], present participle of [[m|la|noceō|t=to harm]] (see [[nuire]]), which Rey connects with [[m|la|nex|t=violent death]] and an Indo-European root also seen in [[grc|νεκρός|tr=nekrós|t=corpse]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) Christian Latin used “Innocentes” for the children killed by Herod.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ It matches [[pro|ignocen]], [[es|inocente]] and [[it|innocente]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) uses the plural for the Holy Innocents, the children put to death by Herod: ''as innocenz vous en serez seant'' “you will sit among the Innocents”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From that use it meant a very young child (about 1165).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the first half of the 12th century, in the Oxford Psalter, it is said of people who do no wrong knowingly, and about 1300 (''ignocent'') of those who are not guilty.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Linked with the idea of ignorance, it meant “too naive” and “unaware” in the mid-14th century, then “simple-minded” (about 1430), as in ''l'innocent du village''; in Quebec it means “idiot”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) The proverb ''aux innocents les mains pleines'' renders Latin ''fortuna favet stultis'', and ''faire l'innocent'' “to feign ignorance” dates from 1732.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ At the end of the 14th century it took back the Latin sense “harmless”, now literary.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Molière's ''École des femmes'' (1662) uses it of a girl ignorant of love.^(TLFi) The verb [[innocenter]] “to clear (of guilt)” dates from 1611.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – The Holy Innocents, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1st half of the 12th century – “Who does no wrong knowingly”, in the Oxford Psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – “A very young child”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1300 – ''Ignocent'' “not guilty”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1360–1370 – “Naive, simple”.^(TLFi)

+ * late 14th century – “Harmless”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''Innocenter''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1662 – “Ignorant of love”, in Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1732 – ''Faire l'innocent''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not [[m|en|guilty]] (of a crime or fault): ''il est innocent du crime''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Pure, untouched by evil; [[m|en|naive]], unaware of evil.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(literary)'' Harmless, inoffensive.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(dated)'' Simple-minded.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An innocent person; especially a young child: ''le massacre des Innocents''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A naive person, ''faire l'innocent'', to feign ignorance.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(Quebec)'' A stupid or foolish person.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[innocenter]]

+ * [[innocence]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nuire]]

+ * [[nocif]]

+ * [[la|innocēns]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}