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épine

Etymology and origin of the French word épine

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (espines)
Inherited from
Latin spina via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (spīna)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.pin/[1]

Forms

épine f (plural épines)[1] Old French espine.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French espine, inherited from Latin spīna (“thorn; thorny shrub; spine”),[2][3][4][1][5] which also meant an animal's spine or prickle and, figuratively, a difficulty.[2][3] Rey says the Latin word, perhaps related to Latin spīca (“ear of grain”), has no known origin;[3][6] Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Indo-European *spey- (“sharp point”).[1] Latin distinguished spīna “thorn” from spīnus “thorn bush”, and French épine took both senses.[4]

Cognate with Italian spina, Occitan espina and Spanish espina.[7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) has espines for thorny shrubs, the sense of the crown of thorns.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The shrub sense now survives only in names: épine blanche “hawthorn” (15th century, compare aubépine), épine noire “blackthorn” (late 12th century), and the Holy Thorn of Christ's crown.[3] The usual sense “thorn, prickle” is from about 1175, and of animals' spines from 1660.[3][2]

In anatomy épine means the backbone (épine dorsale, 1314), whence épinière in moelle épinière “spinal cord” (1660).[2][4] Figuratively it is a difficulty (Chastellain, before 1475): une épine dans le pied, tirer une épine du pied à quelqu'un “to get someone out of a fix”.[2][7]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – Espines “thorn bushes”.[2][8]
  • c. 1175 – “Thorn, prickle”.[3]
  • 1314 – Épine dorsale.[2]
  • before 1475 – Figurative “difficulty”.[2]
  • 1514 – Épinette “spinet”, after Italian.[4]
  • 1660 – Moelle épinière.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A thorn or prickle.[6][1]
  2. A thorny shrub: épine blanche “hawthorn”, épine noire “blackthorn”.[6][3]
  3. Épine dorsale: the spine, backbone.[6][2]
  4. Une épine dans le pied: a thorn in one's side, a nagging difficulty.[6][7]

Word family

  • épinette
  • épinière
  • aubépine
  • épineux
  • épinoche
  • épi
  • épiner
  • Latin spīna
  • English spine

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 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 176b
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Épine.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/%C3%A9pine. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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