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oisif. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
oisif, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
oisif in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
oisif you have here. The definition of the word
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French
Etymology
Inherited from Middle French oysif, ouesif, from Old French oisdif, back-formed from oisdive (“idleness”), in turn derived from oisos (“idle”), from Latin ōtiōsus (“idle”). It has the same root as oiseux (“idle, lazy; boring”). Compare the pair Old French voisos (“spoiled; corrupt”) and voisdie, voisdive (“ruse, trick; subtlety, skill”), both from Latin vitiō, vitiāre (“to spoil something”).[1]
Pronunciation
Adjective
oisif (feminine oisive, masculine plural oisifs, feminine plural oisives)
- idle (not engaged in any occupation)
- 1837 Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manchefr.Wikisource, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Chapter I:
Or, il faut savoir que cet hidalgo, dans les moments où il restait oisif, c’est-à-dire à peu près toute l’année, s’adonnait à lire des livres de chevalerie....- Yet, it must be known that this hidalgo, in the moments where he remained idle, that is to say just about the whole year, devoted himself to reading books of chivalry....
Further reading
- ^ Trésor de la langue française, "oisif".