Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

BIGOT

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 923 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

BIGOT , one obstinately and intolerantly holding particular religious opinions, who refuses to listen to See also:

reason and is ready to force others to agree with him; hence also applied to one who holds similar views on any subject. The See also:early meaning of the word in See also:English, at the end of the 16th See also:century, was that of a religious hypocrite. The origin is obscure; it appears in See also:French, in the forms bigot or bigos, in the 12th century See also:romance of See also:Girard of See also:Roussillon, where it is applied to certain tribes of See also:southern See also:Gaul, and in the See also:Roman du Rou of See also:Wace (d. 1175?) as an abusive name given by the French to the See also:Normans : " See also:Moult on Franchois Normans laidis et de meffais et de mesdis. Souvent for dient reproviers, et claiment Bigos et Draschiers." To this use has been attached the absurd origin from "ne se, bi See also:god," the words in which, according to the 12th century See also:chronicle, Rollo, See also:duke of the Normans, refused to See also:kiss the See also:foot of See also:Charles III., the See also:Simple, See also:king of the See also:West See also:Franks. The word may have some connexion with a corruption of Visigoth, a See also:suggestion to which the use in the Girard romance lends See also:colour. The meaning changed in French to that of "religious hypocrite " through the application, in the feminine bigote, to the members of the religious See also:sisterhoods called See also:Beguines (q.v.).

End of Article: BIGOT

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
BIGOD, HUGH (d. 1177) 		[next]
BIGSBY, JOHN JEREMIAH (1792-1881)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries