ancre

Forms

ancre f (plural ancres)^[1] Old and Middle French also encre and hancre.^[2] Anglo-Norman spellings include auncre and ankre.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French ancre, inherited from Latin ancora (“anchor”).^{[2][4][1][5][6]} The TLFi treats it as a borrowing of the Latin word.^[7] Latin had taken it early from Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura, “hook, anchor”), and it passed into many Romance and Germanic languages.^[2][4][8] The Greek word is formed with an r-suffix on the stem of ἀγκών (ankṓn, “elbow”), a stem with Indo-European cognates; the underlying idea is that of a hook, something bent.^[2] Cognate with Italian ancora and Occitan ancora.^[9][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace has it in 1155 for a ship's anchor;^[10][3] the TLFi's first record is in his Roman de Rou (1160–1174).^[7] The figurative sense of what holds firm is almost as old (about 1165–70), as in Benoît's a ce seit nostre ancre fichée, “let our anchor be fixed on this”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

As a common nautical word it entered many phrases.^[2] Geter ancre (about 1165) became jeter l'ancre in the 16th century, used figuratively by d'Aubigné in the early 17th;^[2][7] être à l'ancre “to lie at anchor” (Froissart, end of the 14th century) also meant “to be idle, powerless” (1532 according to the DHLF, 1534 in Rabelais according to the TLFi); lever l'ancre has meant “to leave” since about 1650.^[2][7] Ancre sacre “main anchor” (Rabelais, 1546) also meant “last refuge”, like ancre de salut (1823); both are out of use.^[2][7] Technical names followed: ancre d'affourche (1691), ancre à jet (1773), ancre flottante (1866).^[2]

From the shape of the anchor came a tie bar in building (1561 according to the DHLF and the Petit Robert, 1616 at Tournai in the TLFi), a charge in heraldry (1671), the escapement piece of a clock (1720) and a use in ballooning (1863).^[2][11][7]

Timeline

• 1155 – Wace uses it for a ship's anchor.^[10][3]
• c. 1165 – Geter ancre “to cast anchor”.^[2]
• late 14th century – Être à l'ancre in Froissart.^[2][8]
• 1534 – Rabelais uses à l'ancre for “idle, powerless”.^[7]
• 1546 – Ancre sacre “last refuge” in Rabelais.^[7][2]
• 1561 – First used for a tie bar in building.^[2][11]
• c. 1650 – Lever l'ancre is used for “to leave”.^[2]
• 1720 – The escapement piece of a clock.^[2][11]
• 1823 – Ancre de salut is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An anchor, the heavy steel device that holds a ship in place by gripping the bottom: jeter l'ancre, lever l'ancre.^[11][7]
2. Jeter l'ancre (figurative): to settle somewhere;^[11] lever l'ancre (figurative, familiar): to leave.^[11]
3. Ancre de miséricorde, ancre de salut: the strongest anchor of a ship;^[11][8] (figurative, dated) a last resort.^[11][8]
4. A decorative motif representing an anchor.^[11]
5. (building) An iron bar shaped like a T or an X that keeps a wall from spreading or resists the thrust of a vault.^[11][7]
6. (horology) The oscillating, anchor-shaped piece that regulates the escapement of a clock.^[11]

Word family

• ancrer
• désancrer
• ancrage

Related words

• Latin ancora
• Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura)

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 542b
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
8. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert