écorce

Forms

écorce f (plural écorces)^[1] Old French escorce; the spelling écorce dates from the 17th century.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French escorce, inherited from Latin scortea (“skin cloak”), the feminine used as a noun of scorteus (“of leather, of skin”).^[3][4][5][6] This is derived from scortum (“skin, hide”), which Rey connects with an Indo-European root also behind corium and so cuir.^[4] Bloch and Wartburg suppose that “skin garment” could have taken on the sense “bark”; the Classical Latin word for bark, cortex, gave écorcher instead.^[7][4] Littré had derived it from the accusative of that Latin word, with a prefixed ⟨s⟩ due to excorticare.^[8]

Cognate with Italian scorza, Romanian scoarță and Old Occitan escorsa.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Chrétien de Troyes' Cligès (1176), meaning the protective covering of the trunk and branches of trees.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

By extension it named in the 13th century the tough rind of certain fruits, and by analogy the surface of the globe, écorce terrestre.^[4][3] From 1265 (Jean de Meun) it also meant the outside of something, opposed to its pith or core, a figurative sense now archaic or literary.^[3][4] Écorce cérébrale has been replaced by cortex.^[4] The proverb il ne faut pas juger de l'arbre par l'écorce “don't judge by appearances” was long in use.^[4][9]

Timeline

• 1176 – Escorce “bark” appears in Chrétien de Troyes' Cligès.^[3]
• 12th century – The derived verb escorcier “to strip of bark” is recorded.^[4][7]
• 1265 – Jean de Meun uses it for the outside of something, in the Roman de la Rose.^[3]
• 13th century – It is used for the rind of fruits.^[3][4]
• 17th century – The spelling écorce appears.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. The bark of a tree's trunk and branches; in botany, the tissues of woody plants outside the liber.^[9][3][1]
2. The peel or rind of certain fruits: écorce de citron.^[9][8][1]
3. Écorce terrestre: the crust of the Earth.^[2][1]
4. (literary) The outward appearance of something.^[4][3]

Word family

• écorcer

Related words

• écorcher
• cortex
• Latin scortum

Usage notes

The proverb entre l'arbre et l'écorce il ne faut pas mettre le doigt advises against meddling in other people's quarrels.^[2][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 328b
7. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert