âne

Forms

âne m (plural ânes, feminine ânesse)^[1] Old French asne (10th century), also ane from the 13th century; the ⟨s⟩ was later replaced by the circumflex.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French asne, inherited from Latin asinus (“donkey”).^[3][2][4][5] Latin already used the word as an insult for a dull person, in Cicero.^[3][2] Unlike the horse's, the donkey's names, a Mediterranean animal, differ from language to language;^[2] Rey nonetheless thinks Ancient Greek ὄνος (ónos), which Benveniste explained from Sumerian anšu, seems related to the Latin word.^[2]

Cognate with Italian asino, Spanish asno, Catalan ase and Occitan aze.^[6][7][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the 10th-century Passion de Clermont: Un asne adducere se roved “he asked to have a donkey brought”, of the animal.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense “stupid person” is recorded after 1260 in Philippe de Novare, who speaks of people who are droit asne and sillier than beasts.^[3][2] Many phrases and proverbs use the animal: âne bâté (Molière, 1670), preceded by âne bardé (1530), strengthens the insult, and fier comme un âne qui a un bât neuf is from the 16th century.^[2] Others are coup de pied de l'âne, the last cowardly blow at a fallen opponent, from the fable of the donkey and the old lion, and l'âne de Buridan, someone unable to choose between two options.^[8] Féraud (1787) and Landais (1834) recall that the word used to be written asne.^[3]

Timeline

• 900s – Asne appears in the Passion de Clermont.^[3]
• After 1260 – Philippe de Novare uses it of a stupid man.^[3]
• 1530 – Âne bardé is recorded.^[2]
• 1670 – Molière uses âne bâté.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A donkey or ass, a hoofed animal smaller than the horse, with long ears: Le meunier charge son âne.^[8][3][1]
2. (figurative) A stupid or ignorant person, a dunce: bonnet d'âne.^[3][8][1]
3. En dos d'âne: with two slopes meeting in a ridge, humpbacked: un pont en dos d'âne.^[9]

Word family

• ânerie
• ânesse
• ânier
• ânon
• ânonner

Related words

• onagre
• Latin asinus

Usage notes

Passer du coq à l'âne means to jump abruptly from one subject to another, and têtu comme un âne is “stubborn as a mule”.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 437b
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse