silencieux French · revision 17537

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1524|origins=la silentium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /si.lɑ̃.sjø/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''silencieux''' (feminine silencieuse, masculine plural silencieux, feminine plural silencieuses)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Académie wrote ''silentieux'' in 1694 and 1718, ''silencieux'' from 1740.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-lat|silentiōsus|t=silent]], from [[m|la|silentium|t=silence]] (see [[silence]]).^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it to 1524; the TLFi's first record is from 1527.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It was first used of things and places: in Dassy's translation of the ''Peregrin'' (1527) it means “where silence and calm reign”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Cotgrave (1611) records it of a person who keeps silent, and Madame de Sévigné (1688) uses it as a noun.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) About 1800 Marie-Joseph Chénier applies it to what makes no noise.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ As a noun, ''une silencieuse'' was a quiet sewing machine (1877); ''un silencieux'' has been the silencer of an engine's exhaust since 1898, and of a firearm since about 1950.^(TLFi)^(BHVF) ''La majorité silencieuse'' is a phrase of modern politics.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1524 – First record, of things.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 1527 – “Where silence reigns”, in Dassy.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – “Who keeps silent”, in Cotgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1800 – “That makes no noise”, in Chénier.^(TLFi)

+ * 1898 – The silencer of an engine.^(BHVF)^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1950 – The silencer of a firearm.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Where silence and calm reign: ''un quartier silencieux''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # [[m|en|silent|alt=Silent]], [[m|en|quiet]]; making no sound: ''un moteur silencieux''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a person, keeping silent; [[m|en|taciturn]]: ''rester silencieux'', ''la majorité silencieuse''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|silencer]] (of a firearm); a [[m|en|muffler]] on an exhaust, ''(North America)'' an exhaust pipe.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[silencieusement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[silence]]

+ * [[la|silentium]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}