Etymologically
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épice

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.pis/[1]

Forms

épice f (plural épices)[1] Old French espice, espiece[2][3]; épice from the 17th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is, by early borrowing, borrowed from Latin speciēs (“sight; appearance; kind”),[4][2][5][6][1][7] which in Late Latin meant goods classified by kind, hence foodstuffs, spices and drugs.[4][2][5] “Species” comes from speciō (“to look at”),[2] and in philosophical Latin translated Greek Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos), whence espèce, a doublet.[2][1] Littré compares Italian speziale (“apothecary”).[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Pèlerinage de Charlemagne (about 1140) has espices, aromatic substances.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Épice also meant an oriental drug (about 1175) and sweetmeats served after a meal (1245).[2][4] Judges received gifts of sweets and spices, les épices, which became a regular fee (before 1454; edict of Louis XII, 1512).[4][5]

Phrases include pain d'épice(s) (1372, pain d'espessez), and quatre-épices (1723), a mixture of cloves, nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon or ginger.[2][3] The épicier (13th century) sold spices and exotic goods until the 19th century, when he became a grocer;[5] épicer “to spice” is from the 16th century.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1140 – Espices (Pèlerinage de Charlemagne).[4][2]
  • 1245 – Sweetmeats (Roman de la Rose).[4][2]
  • 1248 – Épicerie.[5]
  • 1372 – Pain d'espessez.[3][2]
  • before 1454 – Fees paid to judges.[4]
  • 1723 – Quatre-épices.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A spice.[9][1]
  2. Pain d'épice(s): gingerbread.[3][2]
  3. (historical, plural) Fees paid to judges.[4][5]

Word family

  • épicer
  • épicier
  • épicerie

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 153b
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert