véritable French · revision 17582

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1165, Benoît de Sainte-Maure|origins=la vēritās}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ve.ʁi.tabl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''véritable''' (plural véritables)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''veritable'' and ''veritaule'' (about 1190).^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) The Académie wrote ''veritable'' in 1694 and 1718, ''véritable'' from 1740.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|fr|vérité|-able]], like [[charitable]] from [[charité]].^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary) [[vérité|alt=Vérité]] is [[bor|la|vēritās]], from [[m|la|vērus|t=true]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Littré notes that in the 12th century French also said [[m|fro|verable]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it about 1165 in the ''Roman de Troie'' for what is real and certain; about 1188 Aimon de Varennes writes ''c'est chose veritable'', “it is true”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ At the end of the 12th century it was said of a person who always tells the truth (''veritaule'' in the Sermons of Saint Bernard), a sense that was still current in the classical period, as in Pascal's ''J'essaye d'être toujours véritable''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) La Fontaine's ''un ami veritable'' (1678–1679) shows the sense “real, genuine”, and Molière's ''le véritable Amphitryon'' (1668) “the real one, despite appearances”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) From Rousseau's ''j'étais un véritable idiot pour eux'' (1762), it also stresses the aptness of a comparison.^(TLFi) Of materials it means “genuine, not imitation” (''cuir véritable'').^(Larousse)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1165 – “Real, certain”, in the ''Roman de Troie''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1188 – “True, in accordance with the truth”, in Aimon de Varennes.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * Late 12th century – “Truthful”, of a person.^(TLFi)

+ * 1678–1679 – ''Un ami veritable'', in La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1740 – The Académie spells it ''véritable''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1762 – Stressing an image, in Rousseau.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Real, [[m|en|authentic]]: ''son véritable nom est inconnu''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Genuine, not mixed or imitated: ''du cuir véritable'', ''de l'or véritable''.^(Larousse)^(Littré 1873)

+ # Having all the qualities proper to its kind: ''un amour véritable'', ''un véritable ami''.^(Larousse)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(before the noun)'' Stressing the aptness of an image: ''c'est une véritable folie''.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(archaic)'' [[m|en|truthful|alt=Truthful]], [[m|en|sincere]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vérité]]

+ * [[véritablement]]

+ * [[vrai]]

+ * [[la|vēritās]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}