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adjective

oisif

/wa.zif/

adjective/wa.zif/

idle (not engaged in any occupation)

1837 Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Chapter IYet, it must be known that this hidalgo, in the moments where he remained idle, that is to say just about the whole year, devoted himself to reading books of chivalry....

Related: oisiveté

Inherited from Middle French oysif, ouesif, from Old French oisdif, back-formed from oisdive (“idleness”), in turn derived from oisos (“idle”), from Latin ōtiōsus (“idle”). It has the same root as oiseux (“idle, lazy; boring”). Compare the pair Old French voisos (“spoiled; corrupt”) and voisdie, voisdive (“ruse, trick; subtlety, skill”), both from Latin vitiō, vitiāre (“to spoil something”).