aspic

aspic¹ asp

Pronunciation

• /as.pik/^[1]

Forms

aspic m (plural aspics)^[1] Old French aspe (feminine, 1120) and aspis (1121), lost in Middle French, then espic (1250) and aspic (1429); aspide is also found from the 13th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

The word for the snake is borrowed from Latin aspis, which is from Ancient Greek ἀσπίς (aspís, “round shield, asp”).^{[2][3][5][6][1]} The Greek word first meant “round shield”; its use for the snake is perhaps explained by the way the animal rears its neck before striking.^[2] Littré notes that Old French aspe matches the Latin word stressed on its first syllable.^[7]

The final ⟨-c⟩ is probably due to crossing with basilic “basilisk”, the two beasts being named together in Psalm 90 (“you shall tread upon the asp and the basilisk”);^[4][8][6][1] Rey only says it may be due to several influences.^[2] Cognate with Occitan aspic and Italian aspide.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old French aspe is recorded from 1120.^[2] A 13th-century psalter speaks of the aspe sourde stopping its ears, after the Latin aspidis surdae “of the deaf asp”.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The form aspic is recorded in 1429 and is used by Villon in 1461.^[3][5][2][4] It kept the sense “venomous snake”, applied from 1751 to the European viper Vipera aspis and sometimes to other snakes; in the Centre and West of France aspic is a common word for the viper.^[2][4] Aspic sourd (1605), aspic cornu (1611) and aspic rouge (1828) name ill-defined species, mostly vipers.^[2]

The snake stood for malice: Sully writes fier comme un aspic, Madame de Sévigné comme un aspic (1680).^[7][2] Voix d'aspic (about 1465) and then langue d'aspic (1671) mean slanderous malice; the second is still known, while aspic “slanderer” (1672) has gone out of use.^[2] The word also named a piece of artillery (1690), now obsolete.^[2][7]

Timeline

• 1120 – Old French aspe is recorded.^[2]
• 1121 – The form aspis is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1250 – The form espic.^[2][3]
• 1429 – The form aspic.^[3][5][9]
• 1461 – Villon uses aspic.^[2]
• about 1465 – Voix d'aspic “malicious voice”.^[2]
• 1671 – Langue d'aspic “slanderous tongue”.^[2]
• 1690 – Used for a piece of artillery.^[2]
• 1751 – Applied to the viper Vipera aspis.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. The asp viper (Vipera aspis), a venomous viper of Europe.^[5][10][8]
2. Aspic d'Égypte, aspic de Cléopâtre: the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), a venomous snake of Africa and the Middle East.^[5][10][8]
3. (figurative) Langue d'aspic: a person given to slander.^{[5][10][8][7]}
4. (medieval and Christian iconography) A fabulous animal standing for greed, unbelief and evil.^[10]
5. (historical) A 16th-century piece of artillery firing twelve-pound balls.^[10][7]

aspic² spike lavender

Pronunciation

• /as.pik/^[1]

Forms

aspic m (plural aspics)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the lavender is borrowed from Old Occitan espic (“ear of grain, lavender”), from Latin spīca (“ear of grain”), altered under the influence of aspic¹ “asp”.^{[3][8][6][5][7][11]} Wiktionary and the Académie give the Latin as spīcum.^[1][6] It is a doublet of spic and of the same origin as épi.^[1][7][2] Cognate with Italian spigo (“lavender”) and Catalan espic.^[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1492 in Guillaume Tardif's phrase eau d'espic, lavender water.^[8][5]

Semantic evolution

The spelling aspic appears about 1560 in Ambroise Paré, who names l'huile d'aspic and an eau de lavande with oil of aspic added.^[8][7] Olivier de Serres lists l'aspic among scented herbs beside thyme and lavender.^[7] The oil distilled from the plant was used in perfumery and in painting.^[3][5]

Timeline

• 1492 – Guillaume Tardif writes eau d'espic.^[8][5]
• about 1560 – Paré writes aspic.^[8][3][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A large lavender, spike lavender, growing at low altitude in Provence.^[5][3][6][1]
2. Huile d'aspic, essence d'aspic: the camphor-scented oil distilled from it, used in perfumery and painting.^[5][3][6]

aspic³ jelly

Pronunciation

• /as.pik/^[1]

Forms

aspic m (plural aspics)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the jellied dish is of uncertain origin.^[3][2][6] Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF derive it from French aspic¹ (“asp”) used figuratively, the many colours of the jelly being compared with those of the snake;^[4][8][6] Littré thought it was named for its coldness, as a cold person is said to be cold as an asp.^[7] Dauzat, cited by the Grand Robert, held that the moulds for the jelly had the shape of a coiled snake, a guess the Grand Robert calls gratuitous.^[3]

Pierre Guiraud, cited by Rey and the Grand Robert, derives it instead from aspic² “spike lavender”, because of the jelly's translucency or perfumed smell.^[2][3] Rey finds this unlikely, since pharmacy and cooking are rarely confused, and the explanations from the snake (coldness, shape, colour) no more convincing.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1742 in sauce d'aspic.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 18th century sauce or ragoût à l'aspic meant a sauce or stew of varied colours.^[4] From sauce d'aspic the word passed to aspic “jelly” (1771), and in the 19th century to a cold dish set in jelly, recorded by the Académie in 1835.^[2][4] It is used in cooking and catering, notably in aspic de foie gras.^[2][6] English took aspic from French sauce à l'aspic by 1769.^[13]

Timeline

• 1742 – Sauce d'aspic is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1769 – The English word aspic is recorded.^[13]
• 1771 – Aspic alone means a jelly.^[2][4]
• 1835 – The Académie records the cold dish in jelly.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (cooking) A dish of cold meat, fish or vegetables set in jelly in a mould: aspic de foie gras.^[3][6][8][2]
2. By extension, the meat jelly itself.^[3][2]