essai

Essai is a French word that historically means a trial or attempt. In literary terms, it has come to denote a short prose composition that investigates a subject through reflection, inquiry, and argument, often with a personal voice. The term has been adopted into English as “essay” and is used to describe a wide range of non-fiction prose that favors exploration over rigorous systematic treatise.

The essay as a literary form is closely associated with Michel de Montaigne, whose Essais, published in the late 16th century, established a flexible, digressive approach that blends personal experience with observation, skepticism, and inquiry. From Montaigne onward, the genre expanded across Europe and the English-speaking world, giving rise to a diverse tradition. In English, notable essayists include critics and moralists of the 17th and 18th centuries as well as later figures such as Samuel Johnson, Charles Lamb, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and many contemporary writers who continue to experiment with form and subject matter.

Common characteristics of essays include a subjective or semi-objective stance, a focus on a specific theme or question, and a movement through ideas using examples, anecdotes, and reasoning. There is often no strict structure, allowing for digressions, reflections, and a sense of ongoing inquiry. Essays can be philosophical, critical, satirical, descriptive, or hybrid in genre.

In modern usage, essai remains both a French term for a trial or attempt and a broad literary category in which authors explore, argue about, and illuminate topics of personal or public interest.