chétif
See also: chetif
English
Etymology
Borrowed from French chétif. Doublet of captive and caitiff.
Adjective
chétif (comparative more chétif, superlative most chétif)
- Sickly; weak.
- 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York 2007, p. 130:
- It was hard to believe this gay, good-looking young chap, laughing and making mock of the very religion he was going into, was the chétif little boy who used to follow the big Horace everywhere and couldn't live without him.
- 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York 2007, p. 130:
Anagrams
- fetich, fitché, hetfic
French
Etymology
From Old French chaitif, caitif, from Vulgar Latin *cactivus, from a combination of Latin captīvus (“prisoner”) with Transalpine Gaulish *caxtos, from Proto-Celtic *kaxtos (compare Irish cacht, Welsh caeth). Compare also Italian cattivo (“bad”). See also French captif, a borrowed doublet.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃe.tif/
Audio (file) Audio (Switzerland) (file)
Adjective
chétif (feminine chétive, masculine plural chétifs, feminine plural chétives)
- puny, scrawny
- meagre, paltry
- 2018 October 1, “Mort de Charles Aznavour : soixante-douze ans de carrière en six chansons et anecdotes”, in Le Monde:
- Repéré en 1946 par Edith Piaf en personne, le chanteur peine à s’imposer. Son physique chétif, sa voix si particulière, son style ne séduisent pas.
- Spotted in 1946 by Edith Piad herself, the singer struggled to establish himself. His puny physique, his unique voice, his style, do not seduce.
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Further reading
- “chétif”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.