The
Ranums'
Panat Times
Volume 1, redone Dec. 2014
Glossary, part 2 (D-F)
Glossary A-C
Glossary D-F
Glossary G-J
Glossary L-M
Glossary N-P
Glossary R-V
Détaché Douloureusement Doux,_doucement Également Élevé Esprit,_avec_esprit Fièrement Flatter Fort,_fortement
Détaché (detached, separate, staccato)
Détacher [inf.: "to detach"] — To separate something that was attached, either by untying it or in some other manner. — DAF, 1694
Détaché, détachée [adj.: "detached"] — The figures in a painting are said to be "well detached" when they are clearly separated from one another, when they do not blend together, when they appear to be in relief, etc. — Furetière, 1690
— When one finds eighth or sixteenth notes with a dot above or below them, they must be played equal and detached. This only occurs in pieces where these note values are equal in all other parts of the air. — Denis, 1757, p. 12
— A sort of performance in which, instead of sustaining the notes for their full value, they are separated by silences taken from that same value. Détaché that is very short and dry is marked above the notes through elongated dots. — Rousseau, 1768 [see also piquer and pointer]
— In music, is said of notes that are not linked together, that do not form a continuous sound but that are separated by little silences. ... Spiccato means to separate, to disconnect. It is an Italian adjective that is often used adverbially and that means that one must clearly detach or separate the sounds from one another. This applies especially to bowed instruments. It is a little like staccato. — Trévoux, 1771
Douloureusement (painfully, sorrowfully, grievously)
Douleur [n.: "a pain"] — A sad and distressing feeling that afflicts, that wounds some part of the body and is the enemy of nature. ... Also said about the passions of the soul. — Furetière, 1690
— Pain experienced by the body or the esprit. — DAF, 1694
— Douleur, expression of pain. — Brossard, 1703
— Said about the disagreeable sensations of the body and about distress of the mind and heart. The idea of douleur accompanies the idea of affliction, which in turn augments the idea of sadness. — Trévoux, 1771
Douloureux, douleureuse [adj.: "painful"] — Sadly — Richelet, 1681
— Figuratively, means distressing, sad, mortifying, grievous. — Furetière, 1690
Douleureusement [adv.: "painfully"] — In a doleful manner — DAF, 1694
Doux, doucement (gently, sweetly)
Doux [adj.: "soft, gentle, quiet"] — Peaceful. Someone whose temperament is not fiery. Modéré; galant, amorous, as in billet doux. — Richelet, 1681
— Said about sounds. The octave is the most douce of the consonances. Music that is douce is chamber music written for a small number of voices and instruments, which all can be heard distinctly. — Furetière, 1690
— Having a flavor that usually creates a pleasing impression upon the taste, that is not sour, bitter, piquant, sharp, salty. ... Is also said about everything that gives the other senses an impression that is agréable and that has nothing sour, piquant or harsh about it. ... Also said figuratively about the humor and the esprit, and means humane, accommodating, affable, benevolent, clement, and is the opposite of gruff, unsociable, angry, severe and violent. ... A style that is doux means a style that is not stiff, that is aisé and coulant. Also sometimes used adverbially and means in a manner that is doux or aisé. Also sometimes used for tranquil. — DAF, 1694
— See Dolce, piano, soave, etc., See above, Doucement [which refers the reader to piano, dolce and soave!] — Brossard, 1703
[Dolce, or dolcemente, or con dolce maniera means that the voice should be made tendre and the song be made as doux and gracieuse as possible. Piano means what we express with the word doux, that is to say that the strength of the voice or instrument should be softened and diminished to such a degree that it seems to be an echo. — Brossard]
— An f [fort] indicates that one should sing at full volume until a d [doux]; and the d indicates that one should sing at half volume until an f, and so on until the end. This is what is called "singing in echo." — Dupont, Principes, 1718
— In music this word is the opposite of fort and is written above the staves in French music, and below then in Italian music, in places where the volume should be decreased, where the brilliance and vehemence of the sound should be tempered and softened, as for echoes and in accompaniments. The Italians mean the same thing when they write dolce and more commonly piano; but musical purists maintain that these two words are not synonymous and that a number of composers are incorrect in using them as if they were. They say that piano means simply a moderation of the sound, a decrease in volume, but that dolce indicates, in addition, a manner [of expression]. — Rousseau, 1768
— Douce, Dolce, means not only that you must decrease the degree of strength but that, in addition, the execution should be more gracieuse and the sounds should be filés and nourished, that is to say they should be sustained gracefully for their full value without letting them die out before the end, as is often done. Rousseau contrasted this word with harsh [rude] — Mercadier de Balesta, 1776
Doucement [adv.: "gently, amiably, softly, sweetly, smoothly, quietly"] — Without undue emotion, without harshness, without complaint. In a manner that is not rough but doux and honnête. ... Noiselessly, without speaking loudly. Not rushing or hurrying. — Richelet, 1681
— In a manner that is doux; lentement and quietly. — Furetière, 1690
—In a manner that is doux. It also means slowly: "You walk doucement." — DAF, 1694
—In a manner that is doux. Also means comfortably, easily, peaceably, agreeably, without complaining, without impatience. ... Also means without brilliance, muted and delicately. They say: "He approaches his task doucement," when someone acts slowly and with great circumspection. — Trévoux, 1771
Également (equally, in the same manner)
Égal, égale [adj.: "equal, alike"] — Something that has equality, that has a just proportion to something else, that is the same size and width, ... that is always in the same state, in the same state of mind. — Richelet, 1681
— The same size as something else; similar in quantity and sometimes in quality. ... Also means level, unified, not rough: "This plain is very égal [level], this floor is not égal [smooth], this scales is not very égal," that is, it tips more to one side than the other. — Furetière, 1690
— To move or progress equally or with equal note values. See andante. — Brossard, 1703
[Andante — from the verb andare, means to move or progress in equal-length steps; means, especially for the basso continuo, that all the notes should be played equally and that the sounds should be clearly separated. — Brossard]
— Alike, similar, the same, either in manner or in quantity or quality. Figuratively it means something that is always the same. ... It also means uniform: "A style that is égal." — DAF, 1762
Élevé (lofty, exalted, elevated, raised)
Élever [inf.: "to raise"] — To raise, to carry from the bottom to the top. ... To make something greater or important, to make someone's fortune in some manner or other, to praise. — Richelet, 1681
— A good Christian should elevate his soul toward God, elevate his esprit above temporal matters, above the vanities of the world. ... Also means figuratively to cultivate one's esprit, to instruct young people in the arts and sciences, in good manners. — Furetière, 1690
— To raise, to place something higher up, to make something higher. "To elevate one's style" means to adopt a style that is more sublime. — DAF, 1694
Esprit, avec esprit (spirit, wit, mind, intelligence; with spirit)
— The substance that thinks. The part of the soul that judges, understands, reasons and invents what is imagined. ... The characteristics that reveal the soul, the heart and the conduct of a person, or of an entire group of individuals. — Richelet, 1681
— Said about the peculiar genius of each person, about the way he applies himself to something, and about the ease with which he succeeds. ... Is also said about things produced by the esprit: clever thoughts scattered throughout a speech, a book, or in any other sort of work. — Furetière, 1690
— Esprit is sometimes used for the faculties of the reasoning soul, for the faculty of imagining and conceiving. For the imagination alone; for conception alone. One says: "There is esprit in a speech or in a work" when it is clever and done avec esprit. Beaux esprits [fine wits] are those who set themselves apart from the average by the politeness of their speech and their works. — DAF, 1694
— Bel esprit is good sense shining out. A true bel esprit has accurate discernment; he has both strength and delicacy; his thoughts are refined, his inspiration noble and agréable; his way of expressing himself is polite and natural. There is nothing false or vain in his speech and in his manners. — Furetière, 1702
— Also means the ease with which some one imagines and conceives things: "He has a lively esprit." Sometimes means the imagination alone: "A brilliant esprit." Sometimes means the conception alone: "An esprit that is quick" [ouvert]. Sometimes means judgment alone: "He lacks the esprit for handling his affairs." Is sometimes used for an individual's temperament: "An esprit that is doux." — DAF, 1762
Fièrement (proudly)
Fier, fière [adj.: "haughtily, lofty"] — Signifies something noble, honnête and galant. — Richelet, 1681
— Haughty, lofty. — Furetière, 1690
— Conceited, vain, presumptuous, haughty, lofty, audacious. ... Sometimes is used favorably and in its most refined sense: "Courage that is fier, beauty that is fière. — Furetière, 1702
Fierté [n. "pride"] — Originally was used only in its pejorative sense, but today it is used both favorably and unfavorably. Fierté in society, revealed by one's air and manners, is always the expression of conceit and of the good opinion one has of oneself, and often shows the little one thinks of others, which makes fierté odious and unbearable, even among those of the highest social rank. Fierté in the favorable sense, and referring to a man, means particularly a loftiness of the soul, a passion for glory, a certain grand and lively je ne sais quoi in his feelings and manner. In speaking of women, fierté sometimes simply means strict virtue, strictness in modesty. In another, more delicate sense, it means a strictness mingled with nobility, douceur and modesty. In women this fierté is an elevation of the esprit and the heart, a greatness of soul that makes them scorn love affairs, frivolous amusements, coquetry and gallantry. — Trévoux, 1771
— The word fier is totally French in its refined sense, and the words in other languages that resemble it do not express what we mean by a look that is fier, beauty that is fière. ... For in the end, fier, in the way it is used by polite people, has nothing shocking about it and is said in praise rather than as an insult. It means something delicate and virtuous; if pride, audacity, [and/or] a galant air enter in, it is a noble pride, and audacity mingled with modesty, an unpretentious galant air. The fierté [pride] to which we refer is always accompanied by lofty glory and does not exclude douceur or modesty. One and the same person can be doux and fier at the same time and have, in his appearance, a je ne sais quoi that is fier and unpretentious. ... When fierté is said about a man, it especially means a loftiness of soul, a passion for glory, a je ne sais quoi that is grand and vif in his feelings and manner, that can only be expressed by the word fierté. — Bouhours, Remarques nouvelles, 1675
— Also said [in art] about manner, design, touch, coloring and lighting effects. Then this term describes the broad strokes of the brush, free and daring strokes, strong colors, tints that are not softened and blended together. This is the character of the painter who neglects little details in order to focus upon large and important things. The same thing is meant when one says that "A painting is done fièrement, that it has fierté. — Trévoux, 1771
Fièrement [adv: "proudly"] — In a heavy and lofty manner. ... Is also used for fierceness and cruelty. — DAF, 1694
Flatter (to caress, flatter, charm)
— To cajole, to praise too highly — Richelet, 1681
— To attribute to a person good qualities that he does not have, to praise him for them, to congratulate him on them. ... Also said about things that affect the senses agreeably: "Music flatters the ear agreeably." — Furetière, 1690
— Means to caress. Also means to cause delight: "Music flatters the ear." One says "flatter one's douleur," to mean lessening one's feeling of pain or boredom, by hopes, by agreeable imaginings. — DAF, 1762
— In musical terms, has another meaning completely different from that just given [which is virtually the definition in the DAF of 1762]. It is said of voices and instruments, and means the manner, both douce and agréable, of yielding, of manipulating the voice, of fingering the instrument, that creates an agrément that "flatters" the ear. In gay tunes the cadence [rhythm] must be made animated, in tunes that are tendre and languishing [the cadence] must be "flattered." —Trévoux, 1771
Fort, fortement (loud; loudly, strongly)
Fort, forte [adj: "strong, loud"]: Said about things that move, that agitate violently: "Fire is the most fort of all natural agents. ... Also means something that acts as a result of its qualities: "A voice that is too fort or too high hurts the ear, a color that is too fort, too brilliant, too dark, offends weak eyes. ... Is also said figuratively about something that makes an impression upon the esprit. ... One also says that "this expression is forte, either in speeches or painting, to mean fort vif [very lively], a style that is fort and concise. — Furetière, 1690
— Robust, vigorous in nature. ... Also means impetuous, large and violent in its kind. Also means powerful, ample, vigorously, in a manner that is fort and vigorous. — DAF 1694
— With vehemence. See Forte — Brossard, 1703
[Forte — means fortement, with vehemence, although in a natural manner without forcing oneself too much. This is used to indicate that one must push the voice or the sound of the instrument, especially after one has been obliged, owing to the word piano (which is the opposite of forte) to soften it or to make it less forte. —Brossard]
— Forte: This [Italian] word is written into scores to show that one must "force" the sound with vehemence, but without going sharp; that one must sing in full voice, draw a great deal of sound from an instrument; or else it is used to cancel the effect of the word doux employed previously. ... The Italians also have a superlative, fortissimo, which is not really needed in French music, for we usually sing very loudly [très-fort]. — Rousseau, 1768
— Forte-piano: Is the art of softening and strengthening the sounds in an imitative melody, as one does in the words that the melody is supposed to imitate. It is not only when one speaks heatedly that one does not always express oneself in a monotone, for one does not always speak with the same degree of force. Music, when imitating the variety of accents and tones, should therefore also imitate the degrees of intensity or restraint of the words and sometimes speak doux and sometimes fort, sometimes at half volume, and this in general is what is meant by the word forte-piano. — Rousseau, 1768
— Is said figuratively in moral matters to mean great, violent, extreme. ... Figuratively, one says that an expression is forte when it is significant and energetic. — DAF, 1762
— They also say "This expression is forte" either in speeches or in painting, to mean full of energy. — Trévoux, 1771