Etymologically
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antilope

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.ti.lɔp/[1]

Forms

antilope f (plural antilopes)[1]

Etymology

In its modern sense it is borrowed from English antelope (1607 in this sense),[2][3][4][5] itself borrowed from Old French antelop, the name of a fabulous animal,[6][7] from Medieval Latin anthalopus (11th century), from Byzantine Greek “anthálops”, a word taken from an unidentified language.[4][2][1] Rey notes that the Greek word occurs in a commentary on Basil of Caesarea's “Hexaemeron”.[4]

Old French had “antule” (about 1200), and Brunetto Latini “antelu” and “antelop” (13th century), for this fabulous creature.[4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

An isolated antilope is recorded in 1622;[4][7] the word reappears in 1751 (Klein) and 1754 under the influence of English.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It spread with the European knowledge of Africa, for the slender, long-horned ruminants of tropical regions.[4] Zoologists distinguished many kinds in the 19th century (antilope chevaline, antilope noire, 1841), and African French uses names such as antilope-cheval and antilope royale.[4] The derivatives antilopidés (1861) and antilopinés (1892) are zoological terms.[4] About 1903 antilope was also the name of a shade of brown.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – Old French antule, a fabulous beast.[4]
  • 13th century – Antelop in Brunetto Latini.[4]
  • 1607 – English antelope for the animal.[2]
  • 1622 – An isolated antilope.[4]
  • 1751 – The modern word.[2]
  • 1861 – Antilopidés.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An antelope, a slender ruminant of Africa and Asia with hollow, often lyre-shaped horns.[7][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  3. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 646b
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)