aquilin

Forms

aquilin (feminine aquiline, masculine plural aquilins, feminine plural aquilines)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin aquilīnus (“of an eagle”), from aquila (“eagle”).^[2][3][4][5] The Latin noun is also the source of Old French aille and of aigle.^[2] Rey adds that the Latin noun is not Indo-European and may be related to the adjective aquilus (“dark brown”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in the 14th century with the general sense “like an eagle”.^[2][4][6]

Semantic evolution

Only the special use nez aquilin “a nose curved like an eagle's beak” survived; it is recorded from 1468 in Chastellain.^[2][7][8] Amyot uses it in the 16th century in his translation of Plutarch,^[9] and Littré notes that it was used only in this phrase.^[9] It can also describe a profile or a face with such a nose.^[10]

Under the influence of Latin aquilus, French has cheval aquilain or aquilant (1802) for a horse of a dark colour, taking up an Old French aquilant found once in the 13th century.^[2]

Timeline

• 14th century – First recorded in the sense “like an eagle”.^[2][4]
• 1468 – Chastellain writes of a nez aquilin.^[7][8]
• 16th century – Amyot uses nez aquilin in his translation of Plutarch.^[9]
• 1802 – Cheval aquilain is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the nose: thin and curved like an eagle's beak, aquiline: un nez aquilin.^[11][12][13]
2. Of a face or profile: having such a nose.^[10]

Related words

• aigle
• Latin aquila
• English aquiline

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 75b
6. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
11. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
12. ^ 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
13. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)