avril

Forms

avril m (plural avrils)^[1] Old French avrill (Chanson de Roland) beside avril.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French avril, inherited from Latin Aprīlis (“April”).^[2][4][3] The early form avrill and the derivative avrillier, with a palatal /ʎ/, point to a Vulgar Latin form aprīlius, recorded in the 8th century and made on the names of other months such as Mārtius and Iūnius.^[2][5][6] Rey reports Benveniste's view that the Latin name came from Etruscan apru, itself from a shortening of the name of Aphrodite, rather than from an Indo-European source; the old link with ouvrir, made by Philippe de Thaon in 1119, is fanciful.^[3][2]

Cognate with Italian aprile, Spanish abril, Portuguese abril, Occitan abril and Romanian prier.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as avrill in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100): Blanche ad la barbe cume flur en avrill, “his beard is white as a flower in April”.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named the fourth month of the year.^[3] In 1552 Ronsard used it figuratively for the springtime of life, l'avril de mon age.^[2][3]

Donner un poisson d'avril à quelqu'un was recorded by the Académie in 1762 for the trick played on 1 April;^[2] Littré notes that poisson d'avril had earlier meant a go-between.^[7] The proverb en avril ne te découvre pas d'un fil was recorded only at the end of the 19th century.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Avrill appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• 1119 – Philippe de Thaon writes avril.^[2][3]
• 1552 – Ronsard uses it for the springtime of life.^[2]
• 1762 – The Académie records donner un poisson d'avril.^[2]
• 1838 – Blé avrillé, wheat sown in April, is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. April, the fourth month of the year.^[8][1]
2. (poetic) The springtime of life, youth.^[9][2]
3. Poisson d'avril: an April Fool's joke played on 1 April.^[8][9]

Word family

• avrillé

Related words

• Latin Aprīlis

Usage notes

The proverb runs en avril ne te découvre pas d'un fil; en mai, fais ce qu'il te plaît.^[8] Derivatives survive in place names such as Avrillé and Avrilly.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 25, 59a
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 562
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse