con French · revision 17296

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1195–1200, Roman de Renart|origins=la cunnus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''con''' ''m'' (plural cons, feminine conne)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|cunnus|t=female genitals]], a word found in the satirists and in graffiti.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|2, 1540b) Rey calls its origin obscure and compares [[grc|κύσθος|tr=kústhos]] and [[fa|کون|tr=kun]], and perhaps [[m|la|cūlus]] (whence [[cul]]); Wiktionary thinks it probably Indo-European.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The sense “fool” is probably a remaking of [[conard]], according to the TLFi and the FEW, Rey also thinks of comparisons disparaging virility (“faire quelque chose comme un con”, late 18th century).^(TLFi)^(FEW|2, 1541a)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It first appears in the ''Roman de Renart'' (about 1195–1200), for the female genitals.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The Anglo-Norman dictionary has it from 1160–74.^(AND)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 12th to the mid-17th century the word was common in free prose and verse, with many derivatives and puns on the syllable ''con-'', Béroalde de Verville's ''Moyen de parvenir'' (1610) plays on ''connaut'', ''connasse'' and ''connin''.^(DHLF 1992) It then became rare until the second half of the 19th century, often disguised as ''noc''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The figurative sense “idiot” appears as a noun in 1790 and as an adjective about 1830 (Mérimée to Stendhal, 1831); ''conne'' is recorded in 1872.^(BHVF)^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It gave a rich phraseology: ''con comme la lune'', ''à la con''.^(DHLF 1992) In southern France, especially around Marseille, it is a familiar form of address or an interjection with no insult (''oh con!'').^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1160–74 – Anglo-Norman ''con''.^(AND)

+ * c. 1195–1200 – ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1610 – Béroalde de Verville's wordplay.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1790 – ''Con'' “idiot”, as a noun.^(BHVF)

+ * 1831 – The adjective, Mérimée.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1845 – ''Connerie'', Flaubert.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1872 – ''Conne''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(vulgar)'' The female [[m|en|genitals]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(vulgar)'' An [[m|en|idiot]], a stupid person (feminine ''conne''): ''quel con!''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(southern France)'' A familiar form of address or exclamation, not insulting.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(vulgar)'' Stupid, (of things) ridiculous, absurd: ''c'est trop con'', ''con comme la lune''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[connard]]

+ * [[connasse]]

+ * [[connerie]]

+ * [[conneau]]

+ * [[connement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cul]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ An unrelated ''con'' is the Italian preposition “with” in musical directions (''con brio'', ''con anima'').^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}