allonge

Forms

allonge f (plural allonges)^[1][2] The earliest form is alonghe.^[3][1] A spelling alonge with one ⟨l⟩ was still given by Féraud in 1768 and by an abridged Académie dictionary in 1832.^[3]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from French allonger (“to lengthen”).^{[3][1][4][2][5]} The verb was formed about 1160 from a- and long, with a verbal suffix.^[5] Meyer-Lübke lists the noun under Vulgar Latin *allongō, the etymon of the verb.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 13th century as alonghe, in the poems of Baudouin de Condé, in a figurative sense, “lengthening, what makes something bigger”: the poet says that the ladder of his service is not long enough to climb so high, but the alonghe of love and goodwill should help him.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The noun kept two lines of meaning.^[5] One is “piece that lengthens, extension”, attested in shipbuilding in 1541 for a timber prolonging a main piece, then in other trades: a butcher's hook (1680), commerce (1752), fashion (1752) and chemistry (1762).^[3][5] The general sense of an added piece is now mostly taken by rallonge.^[4][3] In classical French it could also mean a lengthening in time, as in Mme de Sévigné.^[4]

The other line comes from allonger “to stretch out (the arm)”: in fencing allonge was a thrust made by extending the arm (1893), and in boxing it is the reach of a boxer's arms (1897).^[5][2] English lunge (1735) is a shortening of the fencing word.^[7]

Timeline

• Late 13th century – Alonghe is used figuratively by Baudouin de Condé.^[3][1]
• 1541 – It names a timber in shipbuilding.^[3][5]
• 1680 – Richelet records the butcher's hook.^[3][5]
• 1735 – English lunge is recorded, shortened from it.^[7]
• 1752 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux records commercial and fashion senses.^[3]
• 1762 – The Académie records a sense in chemistry.^[3]
• 1893 – It is used in fencing for a thrust with the arm extended.^[5]
• 1897 – It is first used for a boxer's reach.^[5][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A piece used to lengthen something, an extension, such as the leaf of a table: une table à allonges; now usually rallonge.^[2][4]
2. A butcher's hook for hanging quarters of meat.^[2][8][4]
3. (boxing) The reach of a boxer's arms: ce boxeur a une belle allonge.^[2][8][4]
4. (finance) A slip of paper attached to a bill of exchange or cheque when there is no room left for endorsements.^[8]
5. (shipbuilding) In wooden ships, a timber that prolongs a main piece of the frame.^[8][3]
6. (furriery) A skin cut into strips that are sewn back together, each slightly offset, to make it longer and narrower.^[8]
7. (classical) A lengthening in time, an extra period.^[4]

Related words

• allonger
• long
• allongement
• rallonge
• rallonger
• English lunge

References

1. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)