De l'intimité Ã l'intime

There are, for example, “intimate” feelings (adjective) and some close people who are “intimates” (noun), and sometimes, what may happen, in care practice in particular, is that one goes into intimacy without being an intimate. And that makes it necessary to view ethics based on tact. But why does language use the adjective form to give the word “intimate” the value of a noun, whereas one does already have the word “intimacy”? This latter has the meaning of closeness and isn't enough to cover the spiritual richness of the deep inside taken in its relationship dimension. The word “intimate” thus exceeds intimacy and it is the meaning of the first term and not the second that A. Gide selected to remind us that the depth of human nature is a mystery to protect.