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Etymology and origin of the French word bigle

bigle1 cross-eyed

Confidence
Disputed
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1471 letters of Louis XI
Inherited from
Middle French bigle

Pronunciation

Forms

bigle (plural bigles)[1]

Etymology

The word for cross-eyed is inherited from Middle French bigle, first recorded in 1471.[2][3][4] The DHLF and the Grand Robert explain it as an alteration of bigre (1336), perhaps after the ending of aveugle, and the DHLF calls that older form of unknown origin.[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg instead see an alteration of bicle (16th century), earlier biscle, crossed with the same adjective, the adjective being formed from the verb biscler “to squint”, from Vulgar Latin *bisoculō (“to squint”), a reconstruction supported by Spanish bisojo (“squinting”) and bizquear (“to squint”).[5] The GLLF takes the same view.[4]

The Grand Robert mentions a borrowing from Occitan biscle, from *bisoculus, from bis (“twice”) and oculus (“eye”);[3] the DHLF objects that this does not explain the form with ⟨r⟩ and does not fit the stress, and suggests the word may be a deverbal of the verb, although that verb is recorded only in the 16th century.[2] Pierre Guiraud makes it a doublet of regional bigue “limping”.[2][3] Littré already called the derivation from these two Latin words doubtful.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1471, in the letters of Louis XI, meaning “squinting, cross-eyed”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective describes, and sometimes names, a person who squints.[2][7] The Académie recorded it in 1694 as both adjective and noun,[7] and Féraud gave it with the verb bigler in 1787.[8] By 1932 the Académie called it dated,[9] and Littré had already noted that it was going out of use.[6] The GLLF also gives a familiar sense “short-sighted”.[4]

Timeline

  • 1471 – First record, in the letters of Louis XI.[4][2]
  • 16th century – Ambroise Paré writes the form bicle.[6]
  • 1694 – The Académie records the adjective and the noun.[7]
  • 1932 – The Académie calls the word dated.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (dated) cross-eyed, squinting: Un vieux marin bigle nous regardait de travers.[10][11][9]
  2. (familiar) short-sighted.[4]

Noun

  1. (dated) A person who squints.[3][7]

Word family

  • bigleux
  • biglerie

bigle2 beagle

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1650 Ménage
Borrowed from
English beagle
Ultimate origin
English beagle
Etymology tree of bigle2
inherited borrowed derived
English beagle
French bigle

Pronunciation

Forms

bigle m (plural bigles)[1]

Etymology

The word for the hound is borrowed from English beagle, recorded in French in 1650 by Ménage.[3][6][12] The English word dates from 1475 and is of unknown origin; the Grand Robert mentions a possible source in Middle French beegueule (“insolent, importunate”), from bée and gueule.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ménage records it in 1650 as the name of a hound.[3]

Semantic evolution

Littré gives it as a hunting term for an English dog used for hares and rabbits, also written bicle.[6] The English spelling beagle is used in French from 1858.[3]

Timeline

  • 1650 – Ménage records bigle.[3]
  • 1858 – The spelling beagle appears.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A beagle: a small straight-legged hunting hound used for hares and rabbits.[3][6][1]
  • bigler
  • beagle

Usage notes

The feminine biglesse, frequent in Madame de Sévigné, is no longer used.[3] The Grand Robert numbers the adjective 1 and the dog 2, and gives beagle as a homophone.[3][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d Académie française (1694), Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise, 1st ed., Paris: Coignard
  8. ^ Féraud, Jean-François (1787–1788), Dictionaire critique de la langue française, Marseille: Mossy
  9. ^ a b c Académie française (1932–1935), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 8th ed., Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  12. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 18, 20b

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Bigle.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/bigle. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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