faux French · revision 17265

+ {{homograph|1|false}}

+

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fo/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /fo.z‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''faux''' (feminine fausse, masculine plural faux, feminine plural fausses)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|fals]] (1080), [[m|fro|faus]] (12th century); the spelling ''faux'' dates from the 14th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective “false” is [[inh|fro|fals]], [[inh|la|falsus|t=false, falsified, deceitful]], the past participle of [[m|la|fallō|t=to deceive]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 392b) The same Latin verb gave [[faillir]] and [[falloir]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|falso]], [[pro|fals]] and [[ca|fals]], from which [[m|es|falso]] and [[m|pt|falso]] were borrowed.^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) ''fals jugement'' is an unjust judgement, and ''false lei'' a false religion.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By 1176 (Chrétien de Troyes, ''Cligès'') it meant counterfeit, falsified, and also deceitful, ''le faux'', what is not true, is found about 1223.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It was applied to what is founded on illusion or error (''fausse joie'', 1580), to a mind that reasons badly (before 1662) and, by the idea of departure from a rule, to an out-of-tune voice (mid-18th century).^(DHLF 1992) What only looks like the real thing is ''faux'' as well: ''fausse perle'' (12th century), ''faux plafond'' (about 1360), ''fausse barbe'' (before 1549), and in natural history plants and animals that resemble others (''faux acacia'').^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The noun ''un faux'' “a forgery” dates from 1611, in law from 1659.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''À faux'' survives in architecture, ''porter à faux'' (1690), whence ''en porte-à-faux''.^(DHLF 1992) English has used ''faux'' with English words since 1676 (''faux-prude''), and alone, meaning “fake”, since the 1980s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Fals jugement'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176 – “Counterfeit”, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1223 – The noun ''le faux'' “what is untrue”.^(TLFi)

+ * 14th century – The spelling ''faux''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1580 – ''Fausse joie'', ''faux mouvement''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1611 – ''Un faux'' “a forgery”, Cotgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * 1676 – In English, ''faux-prude''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|false]], untrue: ''une idée fausse'', ''c'est faux!''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Wrong, [[m|en|incorrect]]: ''un calcul faux'', ''faire fausse route''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Fake, [[m|en|counterfeit]], forged: ''de faux billets'', ''de faux papiers''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Imitation, artificial: ''de fausses dents'', ''un faux plafond''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Deceitful, [[m|en|insincere]]: ''un faux frère'', ''un regard faux''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # Unfounded: ''une fausse alerte'', ''une fausse joie''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(music)'' Out of tune: ''une note fausse''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Wrongly; out of tune: ''chanter faux'', ''sonner faux''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Le faux'': what is false: ''distinguer le vrai du faux''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|forgery]], fake: ''ce tableau est un faux'', ''(law)'' ''faux en écriture''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[faussement]]

+ * [[fausseté]]

+ * [[fausset]]

+ * [[fausser]]

+ * [[défausser]]

+ * [[faux-filet]]

+ * [[faux-fuyant]]

+ * [[faux-semblant]]

+ * [[archifaux]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|scythe}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1175, Chrétien de Troyes (fauz)|origins=la falx}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fo/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /fo.z‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''faux''' ''f'' (plural faux)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''fauz'' (12th century), Middle French ''faulx'' (about 1360, Froissart); ''faux'' from 1587, though ''faulx'' is still found in the 19th century.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The scythe is [[inh|fro|fauz]], [[inh|la|falx|t=sickle, scythe, pruning hook]] (accusative “falcem”).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(FEW|3, 404a) Bloch and Wartburg note that “faux” is a northern word: south of a line from the Loire to the Jura the scythe is named by descendants of [[la-vul|*daculus]], [[m|la-vul|*dacula]], while in the South-West the type “faux” survives in the sense “sickle”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|falce]], [[pro|fals]], [[ca|falç]], [[es|hoz|t=sickle]] and [[pt|fouce]]; in the Romance languages the meaning wavers between sickle and scythe.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found as ''fauz'' in Chrétien de Troyes (about 1175), for the long-handled blade used to cut grass and grain.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an attribute of Time and Death it is recorded in Rotrou (1638); a pole weapon with a scythe blade was also called ''faux'' (1690).^(GLLF 1989) By likeness of shape, anatomy uses it for curved membranous folds: ''faux du cerveau'' (1690).^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1175 – ''Fauz'', Chrétien de Troyes.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1360 – ''Faulx'', Froissart.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1587 – The spelling ''faux'', La Noue.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1638 – The scythe of Time and Death, Rotrou.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|scythe]]: ''aiguiser sa faux''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(literary)'' The scythe of Death or of Time.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(anatomy)'' A curved membranous fold: ''faux du cerveau''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fauchon]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[faucher]]

+ * [[faucille]]

+ * [[faillir]]

+ * [[falloir]]

+ * [[la|falsus]]

+ * [[la|falx]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}