faible French · revision 16989

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɛbl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''faible''' (plural faibles)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|fieble]] (about 1100), [[m|fro|feble]] (about 1160) and [[m|fro|foible]] (about 1175), with many other medieval forms, ''faible'' is a 17th-century respelling.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The variant ''foible'', once pronounced “fouèble”, was kept by the Académie until 1878.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|frm|foible]], [[inh|fro|feble]], [[inh|la-vul|*febilis]], from [[la|flēbilis|t=lamentable, worthy of tears]] by loss of the first ⟨l⟩ through dissimilation,^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 615b) from [[m|la|fleō|t=to weep]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) From “deplorable” the sense passed to “weak”, as Littré notes of [[de|wenig]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) Ménage reported a pronunciation ⟨floible⟩ in Picardy and among the common people of Paris.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It is a doublet of the learned [[flébile]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|fievole]], [[pro|feble]] and [[m|pro|frevol]], [[es|feble]] and [[pt|febre]] (said of underweight coins).^(Littré 1873)^(REW 1935) From the Old French adjective came [[en|feeble]], and, from the noun [[foible]] “weak point” came English [[m|en|foible]] (1640s).^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''fieble'' “lacking physical strength”: ''Il est si fieble qu'il ne puet en avant'' (“he is so weak he cannot go on”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ All later uses grow out of “lacking strength”.^(DHLF 1992) Of things it meant “of little power” and “of little value” about 1170, “lacking intensity” about 1188 (of a light, a sound), whence ''monnaie faible'' “debased coin” (1226), and in classical French it was used of a small quantity or size (1642).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) From about 1180 it described a lack of moral strength, from 1658 (Pascal, ''les faibles'') a lack of intellectual or moral vigour, and in the 18th century also an argument without force (1742).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The noun ''faible'' “failing, defect” is now only literary; the sense “liking, soft spot”, as in ''avoir un faible pour'', dates from the 18th century (1762).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) ''Le sexe faible'' “women” is a jocular phrase.^(DHLF 1992) Derivatives include [[faiblesse]] (about 1050, ''fieblece''), [[faiblement]] (1080), [[faiblir]] (12th century, rare before 1680) and the familiar [[faiblard]] (1878).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Fieble'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1170 – “Of little value”, ''foible'' in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1188 – “Lacking intensity”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1226 – ''Monoye fleve'' “debased coin”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1658 – ''Les faibles'', in Pascal.^(TLFi)

+ * 1640s – English borrows ''foible''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 17th century – The spelling ''faible''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1762 – ''Faible'' “liking, soft spot”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1835 – ''Faible'' recorded by the Académie.^(TLFi)

+ * 1878 – The derivative ''faiblard''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|weak|alt=Weak]], lacking physical strength: ''se sentir faible''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Lacking strength of character or will; easily led.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Lacking ability in some field; of an argument, without force.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Of a thing, not solid, not able to resist; of a currency, weak.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # Small, low (in amount, degree or value).^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Faint, of low intensity: ''une lumière faible''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A weak person, a [[m|en|weakling]], ''les faibles'', the defenceless, ''un faible d'esprit'', a feeble-minded person.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A soft spot, [[m|en|liking]]: ''avoir un faible pour quelqu'un''.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+ # ''(literary)'' A failing, weak point.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[affaiblir]]

+ * [[faiblement]]

+ * [[faiblard]]

+ * [[faiblesse]]

+ * [[faiblir]]

+ * [[affaiblissement]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Le sexe faible'', “the weaker sex”, is a jocular name for women.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}