"It's very boring to see the departure of your train canceled just before New Year's Eve"
,
"The subject of your thesis is absolutely not boring"
... It is clear that there is enough to lose your Latin.
And this, even for the greatest followers of the subtleties of the French language.
Which of these two forms is correct?
To discover
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“Boring” and “boring” have the common meaning “that which bores”.
That is to say, according to the meaning of the deverbal to "bore" ("recruitment of fatigue"), which causes both inconvenience and, by extension, a weariness of mind, a lack of taste and pleasure.
As the French Academy explains, the two adjectives have coexisted in perfect harmony since the 12th century.
This is at least what the
Dictionary
of the Wise notes from 1694, the date of the first edition.
“Neither of the two terms is strictly speaking incorrect
, specifies the Institution in its column
To say, not to say
.
On the other hand, we will write today “boring” unless we have a marked desire to use an aged form.
“Boring”, abounds the
Larousse
, would already be mainly used in other French-speaking countries such as the West Indies, Belgium and Canada.
But that was without counting on the difference that actually opposes the two terms...
Question of temporality
Digging into several dictionaries, we notice that the adjectives “boring” and “boring” have a somewhat divergent meaning.
Le Littré informs us that 'boring', in particular, comes from the Low Latin 'inodiosus' ('very disagreeable') and the Old French 'anoiant' ('annoying, importunate') and that it is therefore used to qualify a temporary annoyance, caused by a transitory event.
Also, we speak of a "boring setback".
Example:
“His bad will for the day is very annoying;
she creates anger in all her colleagues.”
Or:
“I just wasted two hours watching a very boring movie.”
Read alsoThese grammatical inconsistencies that must be avoided at all costs
Le
Trésor de la langue française
tells us what is hidden behind the word “boring”.
Unlike its analogue, the adjective applies to what causes boredom in a frequent or lasting way.
The term then implies a constancy in the state of worry or weariness.
It is in fact more subtle, more accurate, to say
“this man is definitely boring”
than
“this man is definitely boring”
.
And as long as the troubles never stop, it is better to try to keep these two words in mind and use them wisely.