trahison

Trahison is the act of betraying someone's trust or allegiance. It can refer to personal disloyalty, such as breaking a promise or divulging confidences, as well as to treason against a political community or state. In broader use, it may describe actions that undermine a group, a contract, or a shared oath.

Etymology and usage: The noun trahison derives from the verb trahir, which comes from Old French traïson and ultimately from Latin tradere “to hand over.” The term carries moral and legal weight and is distinguished from mere disloyalty by its breach of formal or formalized bonds.

Contexts and types: In intimate relationships, trahison implies a betrayal of trust between individuals. In politics and law, it denotes treason or acts that seriously endanger a state’s security or sovereignty. In cultural and intellectual discourse, the term is used to critique withdrawal of support or alignment with opposing forces, as in the phrase Trahison des clercs, popularized to describe perceived betrayal by intellectuals.

Legal and ethical dimensions: Many legal systems treat treason or acts of betrayal against the state as serious offenses, subject to severe penalties. More broadly, trahison raises ethical questions about loyalty, duty, and the obligations bound by oaths, contracts, or professional norms. In literature and discourse, it is a common motif that explores the consequences of broken trust and the fragility of allegiance.

See also: treason, betrayal, perfidy, Trahison des clercs.