civil French · revision 38610

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1290|origins=la cīvis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /si.vil/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''civil''' (feminine civile, masculine plural civils, feminine plural civiles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|cīvīlis|t=of citizens; civil; courteous]], recorded in French in 1290.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|2, 723a) The Latin adjective is derived from [[m|la|cīvis|t=citizen]], older [[m|la|ceivis]], the free member of a city as opposed to [[m|la|hostis|t=stranger; enemy]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) The word belongs to an Indo-European family with Germanic and Balto-Slavic members, such as [[goh|hīwo|t=husband]] and [[m|goh|hīwa|t=wife]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In Latin law the adjective was opposed both to [[m|la|crīminālis]] and to [[m|la|mīlitāris]], and in political philosophy it rendered [[grc|πολιτικός|tr=politikós]], “social” and “sociable, civilised”, whence the late sense “gentle, affable”.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Compare [[it|civile]], [[oc|civil]] and [[es|civil]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record (1290) is legal: ''cause civile'', a civil as opposed to a criminal case;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''droit civil'' follows at the end of the 13th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From law the adjective spread to what concerns citizens and their relations (1330), in phrases such as ''mort civile'' (1330), ''guerre civile'', ''état civil'' (1773–1774), ''liste civile'' (1791) and ''année civile''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) It was opposed to military (Académie, 1718) and to religious or ecclesiastical.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) The sense “courteous, well-mannered” (about 1460, Martial d'Auvergne) was common in classical French but has declined in favour of [[poli]] and [[civilisé]], despite [[civilité]].^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ The masculine noun ''un civil'' (Académie, 1835) is a person who is neither soldier nor cleric, and ''le civil'' civilian life, in ''en civil'' “in plain clothes” and ''dans le civil''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Among its derivatives, [[civiliser]] appears in 1568 and [[civilisation]] in 1756, coined by Mirabeau.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1290 – ''Cause civile'', a civil case.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 13th century – ''Droit civil''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1330 – ''Mort civile'', in Guillaume de Digulleville.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1460 – “Courteous” in Martial d'Auvergne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''Partie civile'' in Cotgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * 1773–1774 – ''État civil'' in Beaumarchais.^(TLFi)

+ * 1835 – The Académie records the noun ''civil'' and the opposition to military.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Relating to the body of [[m|en|citizen|alt=citizens]] and their relations: ''la société civile'', ''guerre civile'' (war between citizens of one state).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(law)'' Relating to private rights and disputes, as opposed to criminal law: ''droit civil'', ''partie civile''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # Not military or not religious: ''mariage civil''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Fixed for the purposes of everyday life: ''année civile'', ''jour civil''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|courteous|alt=Courteous]], polite.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|civilian]], a person who is not in the army.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Le civil'': civilian life, in ''en civil'' (in plain clothes) and ''dans le civil''.^(Larousse)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(law)'' Civil jurisdiction, in ''au civil''.^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[civilement]]

+ * [[civiliser]]

+ * [[civilisation]]

+ * [[civilisable]]

+ * [[civilisateur]]

+ * [[incivil]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[civique]]

+ * [[cité]]

+ * [[civilité]]

+ * [[la|cīvis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}