étincelle

Pronunciation

• IPA: /e.tɛ̃.sɛl/^[1]

Forms

étincelle f (plural étincelles)^[1] Old French estencele (late 11th century, still in 1155), estincele (about 1200); étincelle from 1636.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French estencele, inherited from Vulgar Latin *stincilla, by metathesis of classical Latin scintilla (“spark”),^{[2][3][5][6][1][7]} a word of expressive origin.^[3] The form with “-in-”, from Picardy and the north-east, became general,^[2][3][5] as with cintre and pinte.^[2] The learned scintiller comes from the same Latin word.^[3]

Compare Spanish centella and Italian scintilla.^[5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rashi's glosses (late 11th century) have estencele,^[2] and Wace's Brut (1155) still uses that form.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Beside the glowing particle thrown off by a fire, the word has metaphorical uses for the gleam of the eyes (jeter des étincelles) and, from the 15th century, for a brief flash of wit or genius (une étincelle de génie).^[3][4] An electric spark is an étincelle électrique.^[4]

C'est l'étincelle qui a mis le feu aux poudres is said of a small incident that sets off a conflict, and faire des étincelles “to do brilliantly” comes from cyclists' slang (1926).^[3][9] The verb étinceler “to sparkle” is from the 12th century.^[3][5]

Timeline

• late 11th century – Estencele (Rashi).^[2][6]
• 1155 – Estencele (Wace).^[2]
• c. 1200 – Estincele.^[2][3]
• 15th century – Figurative “flash (of wit)”.^[3]
• 1636 – The spelling étincelle.^[4]
• 1926 – Faire des étincelles.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A spark.^[9][1]
2. A brief gleam or flash: une étincelle de génie.^[9][4]
3. Faire des étincelles (familiar): to shine, do brilliantly.^[9][3]

Word family

• étinceler
• étincellement

Related words

• scintiller
• Latin scintilla

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b 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. 11, 312a
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert