oisif

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.zif/

Adjective

oisif (feminine oisive, masculine plural oisifs, feminine plural oisives)

1. idle (not engaged in any occupation)
   • 1837 Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche^{fr.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

• “oisif”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.