étoupe

Forms

étoupe f (plural étoupes)^[1] Old French estupe (1119), then estoupe (12th century); the spelling étoupe is recorded from 1636.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French estupe, inherited from Latin stuppa (“tow, the coarse part of flax or hemp”).^[5][6][3][7] The Latin word was taken from Ancient Greek στύππη (stúppē),^[1][2][3] a word of obscure origin.^[3]

Cognate with Italian stoppa, Old Occitan estopa, Catalan estopa, Spanish estopa, Portuguese estopa and Romanian stupă.^[8][9][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as estupe in 1119, in Philippe de Thaon's Comput, meaning the coarsest part of the tow of hemp or flax.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its Latin sense.^[3] In the navy it named the fibre obtained from new hemp or from old untwisted ropes, used to caulk wooden boats (1690, Furetière).^[4]

From the 16th century it was used in metaphors: mettre le feu auprès des estoupes is found about 1534 in Bonaventure Des Périers, and mettre le feu aux étoupes meant to stir up a violent passion or a quarrel;^[4][9][3] avoir les jambes en étoupe “to have weak, wobbly legs” is now dated.^[3]

Timeline

• 1119 – Estupe appears in Philippe de Thaon's Comput.^[5]
• 12th century – The form estoupe is recorded.^[3][2]
• c. 1534 – Bonaventure Des Périers writes mettre le feu auprès des estoupes.^[4][9]
• 1636 – The spelling étoupe is recorded, in Monet.^[4][2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the naval sense “oakum”.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Tow: the coarse waste left when hemp or flax fibres are dressed.^[5][10]
2. (nautical) Oakum, fibre from new hemp or from old ropes untwisted, used to caulk wooden boats;^[4][9][10] étoupe noire comes from tarred ropes.^[4][9][10]
3. Avoir les cheveux comme de l'étoupe: to have dull, tangled hair.^[10][4]
4. (figurative) Mettre le feu aux étoupes: to stir up a quarrel or a passion.^[9][3]

Word family

• étoupille
• étoupillon

Related words

• étouper
• Latin stuppa

Usage notes

The verb étouper “to stop up with tow” comes either from a Vulgar Latin *stupō or from étoupe itself.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d 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
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 314b
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert