berger

Forms

berger m (plural bergers, feminine bergère)^[1] Old French bergier and berchier, feminine bergiere (13th century).^[2][3] Anglo-Norman also berker.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French bergier, inherited from Late Latin berbicārius (“shepherd”),^[2][3][5][6] a derivative of vervēx (“wether”), later berbex (see brebis).^[2][5][1] The Latin noun is recorded as birbicarius about 600 and in its later form in 698 and in the Reichenau glosses of the 9th century.^[2][3][5]

Cognate with Old Occitan bergier and Romanian berbecar.^[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bergier is recorded at the end of the 12th century for the person who keeps sheep, and already figuratively for a guardian.^[2][3] Littré quotes a song by Hues de la Ferté with fol bregier, in the insulting sense “boor”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the word often had a contemptuous sense, “boor, coarse and stupid man”, which disappeared.^[2][8] Its use for a spiritual guide, after the biblical parable, was taken over by pasteur.^[2]

From the 17th century the shepherd of pastoral poetry, the image of simple country manners and sincere love, replaced the old picture.^[2] Hence l'heure du berger “the moment favourable to a lover”, later any favourable moment (1690), and la réponse du berger à la bergère “the reply that ends the discussion”.^[2] The feminine bergère became a familiar word for a wife or mistress in the 19th century, after the amorous shepherdess of 18th-century pastoral songs.^[2]

The word also names a bird that follows the flocks (regional, 1838) and dogs that guard herds, in breed names such as berger allemand.^[2] In African French it is used for a herdsman of cattle.^[2]

Timeline

• Late 12th century – Bergier and berchier are recorded, also for a guardian.^[2][3]
• 13th century – The feminine bergiere appears.^[2][3]
• 1690 – L'heure du berger is recorded.^[2]
• 1746 – The feminine bergère names a kind of armchair.^[5]
• 1838 – It names a bird in regional French.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A shepherd: a person who looks after sheep, or livestock in general.^[9][10][1]
2. (literary) A character of pastoral poetry; a lover.^[10][8]
3. A sheepdog;^[2] berger allemand, the German shepherd.^[2]
4. L'étoile du berger: the planet Venus.^[10][8]
5. L'heure du berger: the moment favourable to a lover; a favourable moment.^[8][2]
6. (Africa) A herdsman of cattle.^[2]

Word family

• bergère
• bergerie
• bergeronnette

Related words

• brebis
• Latin vervēx

Usage notes

La réponse du berger à la bergère is a retort that closes a discussion.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 u Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 334b
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse