éclair

Forms

éclair m (plural éclairs)^[1] Old French esclair.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from French éclairer (“to light up”).^[4][1][2][5] The verb comes from Vulgar Latin *exclāriō, beside classical exclārō,^[6][1][7] built on clārō, from clārus (“clear, bright”).^[5]

In the sense “lightning” the word was first Norman and Anglo-Norman; it ousted the older and commoner espart.^[4][6] Littré derives this word from the verb espardre, from Latin spargō (“to scatter”).^[3] Bloch and Wartburg describe the word spreading from the Norman coast; it now prevails in the northern dialects, mostly as a feminine.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Voyage de saint Brendan (about 1121), where it means “brightness, light”.^[4][5][8]

Semantic evolution

At the end of the 12th century it came to mean the sudden bright flash of a thunderstorm.^[4][5] From this sense come phrases of great speed: rapide comme l'éclair, avec la rapidité de l'éclair, en un éclair.^[5] From 1867 the word is used in apposition, as in Hugo's homme-éclair, guerre éclair (1890) and fermeture Éclair (1928, a trademark).^[5] By extension it means any brief, bright light (mid-14th century), whence lancer des éclairs of flashing eyes.^[5] The figurative sense “brief moment” (1604) was rare before the 19th century: éclair de génie “a sudden inspiration”.^[4][5]

The pastry is recorded in Littré in 1864, and the Petit Robert and the DHLF date it to 1856.^[4][2][9][5] The Grand Robert takes it, perhaps, from the first sense, because the cake can be eaten quickly; the TLFi and the GLLF give the same reason, but Rey does not find it convincing.^[2][4][8][5]

Timeline

• c. 1121 – Esclair “brightness, light” appears in the Voyage de saint Brendan.^[4][2]
• late 12th century – First used for lightning, in Simon de Freine's Vie de saint Georges.^[4]
• mid-14th century – Used of any brief, bright light.^[5]
• 1604 – Montchrestien writes l'esclair trompeur d'une fausse esperance, a figurative use.^[4]
• 1856 – First record of the pastry.^[5][9]
• 1864 – Littré records the pastry.^[4][10]
• 1867 – Victor Hugo's homme-éclair uses it in apposition.^[5]
• 1890 – Guerre éclair is recorded.^[5]
• 1928 – Fermeture Éclair is registered as a trademark.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A flash of lightning during a storm.^[9][4] Éclair de chaleur: heat lightning, too far away for the thunder to be heard.^[9][4]
2. Comme l'éclair, comme un éclair: very fast.^[9][5] In apposition: very quick, as in guerre éclair “blitzkrieg”, visite éclair.^[9][8][5]
3. A brief, bright flash of light.^[9] Lancer des éclairs: of the eyes, to flash.^[9][5]
4. (figurative) A sudden, passing burst, a brief moment: éclair de génie, éclair de lucidité.^[9][5]
5. (cooking) An éclair, an oblong pastry of choux paste filled with cream and iced on top.^[9][4][1]

Word family

• guerre-éclair

Related words

• éclairer
• clair
• fermeture éclair

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 274b
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF