intelligent French · revision 17499

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1420, Emmanuel Piloti|origins=la legō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.tɛ.li.ʒɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.te.li.ʒɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɛ̃.tɛl.li.ʒɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''intelligent''' (feminine intelligente, masculine plural intelligents, feminine plural intelligentes)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|intellegēns|t=discerning; a connoisseur]], the present participle of [[m|la|intellegō|t=to understand]], from [[m|la|inter|t=between]] and [[m|la|legō|t=to gather; to read]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|4, 737b) It belongs with [[intelligence]] (12th century) and [[intelligible]] (13th century), borrowed earlier.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Emmanuel Piloti's treatise (1420) it means a person who knows an art or craft well, an expert.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “having the faculty of knowing” is recorded in ''La Mer des histoires'' (1488), the date Bloch and Wartburg give for the word.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) Cotgrave (1611) records the sense “quick to understand”;^(GLLF 1989) Littré (1867) extends it to animals.^(GLLF 1989) Sully (late 16th century) uses it for a person skilful and of sound judgement in his own field.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Balzac (1830) applies it to what shows intelligence in a person, such as a look, and the ironic use for something stupid (''c'est intelligent !'') is from the 20th century.^(GLLF 1989) In the 1920s and 1930s French writers on Russia used ''intelliguent'' as a noun for a member of the intelligentsia.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1420 – “Expert in an art”, in Piloti.^(TLFi)

+ * 1488 – “Endowed with understanding”, in ''La Mer des histoires''.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1611 – Cotgrave records “quick-witted”.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1694 – The Académie records the word.^(TLFi)

+ * 1784 – The negative ''inintelligent''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1830 – Of a look or face showing intelligence, in Balzac.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Having the faculty of knowing and understanding: ''l'homme, être intelligent''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # [[m|en|intelligent|alt=Intelligent]], [[m|en|clever]]: quick to understand and to adapt.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # Skilful and of sound judgement in one's field: ''un auxiliaire intelligent''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Showing intelligence: of a look, a face, a remark.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Of animals, showing traits like intelligence: ''que ce chien est intelligent !''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(ironic)'' Stupid: ''c'est intelligent !''^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inintelligent]]

+ * [[inintelligence]]

+ * [[mésintelligence]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[intelligence]]

+ * [[intelligible]]

+ * [[intellect]]

+ * [[lire]]

+ * [[la|intellegō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}