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angélique

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Etymology and origin of the French word angélique

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1262 More words from the 13th century
Borrowed from
Latin angelicus
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ἀγγελικός
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos)
Latin angelus
Italian angelo
Romanian înger
French ange
Spanish ángel
Old Church Slavonic ангелъ (angel)
Ancient Greek ἀγγελικός (angelikós)
Latin angelicus
English angelic
French angélique
Spanish angélico
The word's journey
From the same root
Ancient Greek ἀρχάγγελος (arkhángelos) ← ἄγγελος
Ancient Greek εὐάγγελος (euángelos) ← ἄγγελος

Pronunciation

  • /ɑ̃.ʒe.lik/[1]

Forms

angélique (plural angéliques)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin angelicus (“angelic”), from angelus (“angel”),[2][3][1] which renders Ancient Greek ἀγγελικός (angelikós) of the Greek of the Church.[4][5] The Latin noun is from ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”).[3]

The nouns are formed in French from the adjective: the name of the plant (1538) and the later names of a tree and a musical instrument.[2][3] The plant was named for the virtues credited to it against poisons.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded about 1262, in the religious sense “relating to angels”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From the sense “of angels” the adjective came to mean, by the 14th century, “having the gentleness, goodness or perfection of an angel”.[3] A 15th-century morality play contrasts Fortune's visage angelique with her frightening other face.[6] Several religious uses are modelled on Latin: the salutation angélique, the angel Gabriel's greeting to the Virgin and the prayer made from it, the docteur angélique (1690), Thomas Aquinas, and the literary pain angélique, the Eucharist.[3][2][7]

As a feminine noun, angélique has named a medicinal plant, angelica, since the 16th century (1538, and angelic in 1543),[3] because of the virtues it was thought to have against venoms, as Olivier de Serres explained in 1600.[2][5] Its candied stems were called angélique from 1737, and liqueurs made with it angélique (1690) or eau d'angélique (1709).[3][2] The name was given to other plants too: the white anemone (1667), a fig tree, and a tree of Guiana (1768) whose rot-proof wood, used in shipbuilding, is still called bois d'angélique (1928).[3][2] An old string instrument related to the lute is recorded as angelic in 1541 and as angélique in 1664;[2] Furetière in 1690 describes it as combining the lute and the theorbo.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 1262 – First record, meaning “relating to angels”.[2][3]
  • 14th century – Figurative sense “worthy of an angel”.[3]
  • 1538 – The plant angelica is called angélique.[3][2]
  • 1541 – Angelic is used for a lute-like instrument, later (1664) angélique.[2]
  • 1667 – The name is given to the white anemone.[3]
  • 1690 – Docteur angélique for Thomas Aquinas, and angélique for a liqueur.[3]
  • 1737 – The candied stems of the plant are called angélique.[3][2]
  • 1768 – A tree of Guiana is named angélique.[3][2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or relating to angels: chœur angélique, hiérarchie angélique.[9][2]
  2. (Catholicism) Salutation angélique: the angel's greeting to the Virgin, the Ave Maria;[9][7][2] Docteur angélique: Thomas Aquinas.[9][7][2]
  3. Worthy of an angel, suggesting its innocence or perfection, seraphic: une patience angélique, un sourire angélique, as in Malgré la pluie, la petite garda un calme angélique.[9][5]

Noun

  1. (feminine; botany) angelica, a tall aromatic plant of the carrot family, grown for its stems and seeds.[9][2][10]
  2. (feminine) The candied stem of this plant, used in confectionery: Le pâtissier a décoré la brioche avec de l'angélique.[9][2]
  3. (feminine) A liqueur made with angelica.[10][3]
  4. (masculine) A tree of Guiana and its rot-proof wood, used in building.[2][10]
  5. (feminine; music, historical) An old string instrument related to the lute.[2][8]

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 s t 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 l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c 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 Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Angélique.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/ang%C3%A9lique. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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