derivation in French" (1999) by Jean Dubois and
Françoise Dubois-Charlier.
Additionally, we will draw insights from "History
of the French Language" (1930) by Albert Dauzat and
"The Adventure of French Words from Elsewhere"
(1997) by Henriette Walter. Notably, the research
titled "The pejorative meaning of the suffix -ard in
French" (1910) by Kurt Glaser, being the sole work
exclusively dedicated to this suffix, merits a distinct
section within the theoretical framework.
2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
Kurt Glaser's study, "The pejorative meaning of the
suffix -ard in French," published in the journal
Romanische Forschungen in 1910, stands as the sole
comprehensive exploration of the -ard suffix,
providing valuable insights. In this research, the
Romanist Glaser scrutinizes words ending in -ard,
tracing their usage from Old French to the
contemporary era, specifically those he deems to
carry a pejorative connotation. Addressing the
challenges posed by the sometimes unclear
etymology of -ard words, we focuse solely on those
with well-established etymologies.
By "pejorative," we refer to that which degrades
meaning, is interpreted negatively, or implies
denigration. While cataloging non- derogatory -ard
words, he includes those indicating a property (e.g.,
bécard, "salmon with a long hooked projection of the
lower jaw"), a quality (péchard), an augmentative
meaning (fauchard, “large scythe”), and diminutive
meaning (chevrillard, “small deer”), noting the
relative rarity of the latter.
Glaser highlights the widespread usage of the - ard
suffix throughout history, contributing numerous
innovative words to colloquial language, a
phenomenon often overlooked in literature (Glaser
1910: 934). Despite the varied meanings of these
words, it raises the question of how to explain the
predominantly pejorative sense of this suffix. He
aligns with Nyrop's theory suggesting that the
pejorative meaning evolved from the augmentative
sense, positing that it initially emerged in words with
stems already carrying derogatory meanings, such as
"drunkard" and "sotard." The derogatory connotation
of these stems would have influenced the suffix in
these instances, extending to other derivatives in -ard,
as seen in "lisard," which could mean someone who
knows how to read, likes to read, but also conveys the
sense of being clever or adept in business. Glaser
draws comparisons between the pejorative nature of
the -ard suffix and other pejorative suffixes in French,
including -ald, -asse, -aille, -in, -on, and -âtre. The
suffix -ald, considered the closest counterpart to -ard,
has been previously discussed in the preceding
chapter. Similar to -ard, it initially emerges in
Germanic proper nouns before extending to common
nouns denoting people and animals, often carrying a
pejorative undertone, as seen in terms like clumsy,
clumsy, and toad (Kurt Glaser. 1910).
Concerning -asse, derived from the Latin
feminine suffix -acea/-acia, it primarily functions as a
collective and augmentative suffix, taking on a
pejorative sense in words such as bestiasse and
paperwork. The idea of greatness, when
misinterpreted, generates the concept of
disproportionate and consequently deformed
greatness. In certain feminine and pejorative words
ending in -asse, such as blondasse and fadasse, the
feminine form is also applied to masculine entities.
Another French suffix derived from Latin (-alia) is
-aille, conveying a collective meaning with an
inclination toward the pejorative, words like ferraille
(“waste iron”, TLFi) and valetaille (“[a] set of valets”,
TLFi), pointing out that the pejorative sense of these
terms has a relatively modern origin.
In the case of the suffixes -in and -on, both derived
from Latin, the pejorative connotation is rooted in the
diminutive sense, where "the idea of smallness
engenders contempt": gallant, joker, braggart,
grumpy, among others. The endings stemming from
the Latin suffix -attus/-ottus/-ittus follow a similar
pattern, conveying a diminutive meaning in words
like louvat and îlet, while adopting a pejorative sense
in bellot and vielot (Kurt Glaser. 1910).
Highlighting this aspect, let’s observe instances
where words ending in -ard have fallen out of use,
replaced by alternatives deemed more neutral, as seen
in the shift from Nicien and Niçois to Niçard. He
underscores the fluidity of language, noting that -ard
words are susceptible to nuanced shifts in meaning,
potentially diluting or entirely eclipsing the originally
pejorative sense of a word. Thus, he posits, "the
pejorative meaning is not always precisely defined
and specified, often making it challenging to
grasp"(Kurt Glaser. 1910).
In this research, following Glaser’s study we’d
like to categorize sixteen groups of pejorative words
ending in -ard, encompassing qualities interpreted
negatively (esperart, "one who hopes easily"),
tendencies towards chatter (languard, "one with a
sharp tongue"), lack of courage (coward, fugitive),
inclination to cry (cryer, whiner), loud and
inappropriate shouting (loud, shouty), individuals
with a gloomy and scolding demeanor (grondart,
hognart), drunkenness (drunk, thirsty), mockery