peccant

English

WOTD – 13 March 2024

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Middle French peccant (“unhealthy”) (modern French peccant), and from its etymon Late Latin peccantis, the genitive singular of peccāns (“offending; sinning, transgressing”, adjective), from Latin peccāns (“wrongdoer”), a noun use of the active present participle of peccō (“to offend; to sin, transgress”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ped- (“to fall; to stumble; to step; to walk”).^[1]

As regards sense 3 (“diseased, unhealthy”) as used in peccant humours, compare Middle French l'umeur peccante, humeurs peccantes, Old French humeurs pechantes, and Late Latin humores peccantes.^[1]

The noun is derived from the adjective.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛk(ə)nt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pec‧cant

Adjective

peccant (comparative more peccant, superlative most peccant) (archaic)

1. Of a person, etc.: that commits or has committed an offence or a sin; blameworthy, culpable, offending, sinful, sinning.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 67–71:

     But let us call to Synod all the Bleſt / Through Heav'ns wide bounds; from them I will not hide / My judgments, how with Mankind I proceed, / As how with peccant Angels late they ſaw; / And in thir ſtate, though firm, ſtood more confirmd.

   • 1690 November 12 (Gregorian calendar); first published 1694, Robert South, “Natural Religion, without Revelation, Shewn Only Sufficient to Render a Sinner Inexcusable: In a Sermon Preached before the University, at Christ-Church, Oxon. on November 2. 1690 [Julian calendar]”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume II, London: […] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for Thomas Bennet […], →OCLC, page 248:

     [T]hat a peccant Creature ſhould diſapprove, and repent of every Violation of, and Declination from the Rules of juſt and honeſt, this, right Reaſon diſcourſing upon the Stock of its ovvn Principles, could not but infer.

   • 1862, Thomas Carlyle, “Grand Review at Strehlen: Neipperg Takes Aim at Breslau, but Another Hits It”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume III, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book XIII, page 452:

     Syndic Gutzmar and the peccant Officials being summoned out to Strehlen, it had been asked of them, "Do you know this Letter?" Upon which they fell on their knees, "Ach Ihro Majestät [Oh Your Majesty]!" unable to deny their handwriting; […]

   • 1876, George Meredith, “Renée”, in Beauchamp’s Career […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 75:

     [He] was bereaving his houses of the matronly government, deprived of which they were all of them likely soon to be at sixes and sevens with disorderly lacqueys, peccant maids, and cooks in hysterics.

   • 1921, Lytton Strachey, “Lord Melbourne”, in Queen Victoria, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, section VI, page 82:

     [T]he fact that the peccant doctor [Sir James Clark, 1st Baronet] continued in the Queen's service made the Hastings family irreconcilable and produced an unpleasant impression of unrepentant error upon the public mind.

2. Of an action or thing: causing offence or sin; offensive, sinful.
   • 1632 (indicated as 1633), William Prynne, “Actus 3, Scena Sexta”, in Histrio-mastix. The Players Scourge, or, Actors Tragædie, […], London: […] E[lizabeth] A[llde,] [Thomas Cotes, Augustine Matthews] and W[illiam] I[ones] for Michael Sparke, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 123:

     [O]ur ovvne Statutes […] preciſely prohibit the ſatyricall depraving, traducing, or derogation of the Common Prayer-Booke, and of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in any Enterludes, Playes or Rimes, (in vvhich kinde Playes had been formerly peccant) under ſevere penalties.

   • 1659 August 3 (Gregorian calendar); first published 1692, Robert South, “Interest Deposed, and Truth Restored: Or, A Word in Season, Deliver’d in Two Sermons: The First at St. Mary’s in Oxford, on the 24th of July 1659 [Julian calendar], […] The Other Preached before the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s-Inn.”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for Thomas Bennet, […], →OCLC, page 105:

     [T]he VVorld is novv ſo peccant upon this Account, that I am afraid Inſtances vvould be miſtaken for Invectives.

4. (pathology, historical, also figurative) Especially of humours of the body: diseased, unhealthy; also, causing disease.
   • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 27, recto:

     Thus haue I deſcribed and opened as by a kinde of diſſection, thoſe peccant humors (the principall of them) vvhich hath not onely giuen impediment to the proficence of Learning, but haue giuen alſo occaſion, to the traducement thereof: […]

   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Further Account of the Academy. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan), page 82:

     It is allowed, that Senates and great Councils are often troubled with redundant, ebullient, and other peccant Humours, with many Diſeaſes of the Head and more of the Heart; with ſtrong Convulſions, with grievous Contractions of the Nerves and Sinews in both Hands, but eſpecially the Right; with Spleen, Flatus, Vertigos and Deliriums; with Scrophulous Tumors full of fœtid purulent Matter; with ſower frothy Ructations, with Canine Appetites and Crudeneſs of Digeſtion, beſides many others needleſs to mention.

   • 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 29:

     It is far from impoſſible to reconcide, […] the ſacredneſs of as hereditary principle of ſucceſſion in our government, vvith a povver of change in its application in caſes of extreme emergency. Even in that extremity (if vve take the meaſure of our rights by our exerciſe of them at the Revolution) the change is to be confined to the peccant part only; to the part vvhich produced the neceſſary deviation; and even then it is to be effected vvithout a decompoſition of the vvhole civil and political maſs, for the purpoſe of originating a nevv civil order out of the firſt elements of ſociety.

   • 1823 April 14, Lord Byron, “Letter DXIV. To the Earl of B**.”, in Thomas Moore, editor, Letters and Journals of Lord Byron: With Notices of His Life, […], volume II, London: John Murray, […], published 1830, →OCLC, page 640:

     I am truly sorry that I cannot accompany you in your ride this morning, owing to a violent pain in my face, arising from a wart to which I by medical advice applied a caustic. Whether I put too much, I do not know, but the consequence is, that not only I have been put to some pain, but the peccant part and its immediate environ are as black as if the printer's devil had marked me for an author.

   • 1860, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Essay II. Power.”, in The Conduct of Life, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 52:

     And we have a certain instinct, that where is great amount of life, though gross and peccant, it has its own checks and purifications, and will be found at last in harmony with moral laws.

   • 1906 August, Henry James, “Baltimore”, in The American Scene, London: Chapman and Hall, published 30 January 1907, →OCLC, section II, page 312:

     [O]ne feels that no community can really be as purged of peccant humours as the typical American has for the most part found itself foredoomed to look.

5. (obsolete) Offending a norm, a rule, etc.; defective, faulty, wrong.

   Synonyms: erroneous, incorrect

   • 1726, John Ayliffe, “Of Church-yards, &c.”, in Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England. […], London: […] D. Leach, and sold by John Walthoe […], →OCLC, page 177:

     Nor is the Party cited bound to appear, if the Citation be evidently peccant in point of Form or Matter.

   • 1885–1886, Henry James, chapter XII, in The Bostonians […], London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published 16 February 1886, →OCLC, 1st book, page 94:

     Olive rested her eyes for some moments upon Mrs. Luna, without speaking. Then she said: 'Your veil is not put on straight, Adeline.' / 'I look like a monster—that, evidently, is what you mean!' Adeline exclaimed, going to the mirror to rearrange the peccant tissue.

Derived terms

• peccantly (rare)
• peccantness (obsolete, rare)

Related terms

• impeccability
• impeccable
• impeccableness
• impeccably
• peccability
• peccable
• peccadillo

Translations

of a person, etc.: that commits or has committed an offence or a sin — see blameworthy,‎ culpable,‎ sinful

of an action or thing: causing offence or sin — see offensive,‎ sinful

especially of humours of the body: diseased, unhealthy — see diseased,‎ unhealthy

Noun

peccant (plural peccants)

1. (obsolete) An offender; also, a sinner.
   • 1654, Richard Whitlock, Ζωοτομία [Zōotomía], or, Observations on the Present Manners of the English: […], London: […] Tho[mas] Roycroft, and are to be sold by Humphrey Moseley, […], →OCLC, page 388:

     Yet this conceitedneſſe and Itch of being taken for a Counſellour, maketh more Reprovers, than Peccants in the vvorld.

References

1. Compare “peccant, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023; “peccant, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

• “peccant”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “peccant”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “peccant”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Latin

Verb

peccant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of peccō