# Need French Help



## Guido's Brother (Jun 13, 2008)

I'm working on my dissertation right now and I need some help with some sixteenth century French. It's from Guido de Bres' magnum opus La Racine. He speaks on several occasions of "les meschans ministres." I cannot find "meschans" in any dictionary, online or otherwise. I tried spelling it "maschans," but that didn't help either. Anybody know?

From the context, I'm pretty sure it's something bad!


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## Reformed Covenanter (Jun 13, 2008)

I thought you were talking about their soccer team, who are presently losing 3-1 to Holland.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 13, 2008)

This may be of some help.


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## VictorBravo (Jun 13, 2008)

Guido's Brother said:


> I'm working on my dissertation right now and I need some help with some sixteenth century French. It's from Guido de Bres' magnum opus La Racine. He speaks on several occasions of "les meschans ministres." I cannot find "meschans" in any dictionary, online or otherwise. I tried spelling it "maschans," but that didn't help either. Anybody know?
> 
> From the context, I'm pretty sure it's something bad!



Meschans means, more or less, "wicked."


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 13, 2008)

victorbravo said:


> Guido's Brother said:
> 
> 
> > I'm working on my dissertation right now and I need some help with some sixteenth century French. It's from Guido de Bres' magnum opus La Racine. He speaks on several occasions of "les meschans ministres." I cannot find "meschans" in any dictionary, online or otherwise. I tried spelling it "maschans," but that didn't help either. Anybody know?
> ...



That's what I was thinking as well. 

See here.


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## VictorBravo (Jun 13, 2008)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> victorbravo said:
> 
> 
> > Guido's Brother said:
> ...



 I knew I'd be beaten by a Huguenot!

Calvin used the word a lot too. From a footnote in his commentary on Isaiah 57:

“Mais celle des meschans est effroyable.” “But that of the wicked is frightful.”


Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah - Volume 4 | Christian Classics Ethereal Library


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## Guido's Brother (Jun 13, 2008)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> This may be of some help.



That's really creative: looking up a sixteenth century French word in a Middle English dictionary. Makes sense though, considering the influence of French on English in that period. Thanks for that!


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## smhbbag (Jun 13, 2008)

> Meschans means, more or less, "wicked."




It is an older form of "Mechants."


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## smhbbag (Jun 13, 2008)

That was my wife.

And almost rebuked her for her fragmented sentences.

Me chants what?


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## VictorBravo (Jun 13, 2008)

smhbbag said:


> > Meschans means, more or less, "wicked."
> 
> 
> 
> ...



C'est vrai et évident!

That should have been obvious to me.


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