Etymologically
Log in

billet

Etymology and origin of the French word billet

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1359
Ultimate origin
Latin (bulla)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /bi.jɛ/[1]

Forms

billet m (plural billets)[1]

Etymology

It is the masculine form of Old French billette (“letter; safe-conduct”) (1389).[2][3][4][5] “Billette” is usually explained as an alteration, after bille, of Old French bullette (“seal; certificate”) (1299, 1371), a diminutive of bulle “seal”, from Latin bulla (“bubble; knob; seal”).[2][3][4][6][1] Pierre Guiraud found the alteration unlikely and took “billet” as a diminutive of “bille” “piece of wood”, a small stick used as a label, as happened with étiquette.[2][3] A borrowing from Italian biglietto is hard to accept, since the Italian word is recorded only in the second half of the 16th century, though earlier use is possible.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rey dates it from 1359, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert from 1459, Bloch and Wartburg give 1457.[2][3][6][4] In the 15th century the preacher Menot wrote in fine billeti mei “at the end of my note”, that is, at the end of my tether.[7]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century it was a royal order (lettre de cachet) and a magic formula.[2] It spread in the 17th century with the fashion for short unsigned notes instead of formal letters: Richelet (1680) records billet doux and billet galant, and billet was also a printed announcement of a wedding or funeral, later billet de faire part.[2][5]

From 1680 it was a ticket of admission, billet pour entrer à la Comédie, a use later partly taken over by ticket, prendre un billet de parterre “to fall flat” dates from 1838.[2] The same year it was a written promise to pay, whence billet de banque in the letters patent of John Law's bank (2 May 1716), and soon simply a banknote.[2][4][5] A billet de santé (1690) was a certificate, whence je vous fiche mon billet que… “I'll bet you anything that…” (1821).[2][8] In Quebec a billet de saison is a season ticket.[2]

Timeline

  • 1359 – First record, according to Rey.[2]
  • 1389 – Billette “letter, safe-conduct”.[2][3]
  • 1674 – A short letter.[2]
  • 1680 – Billet doux; an admission ticket; a promissory note.[2]
  • 1716 – Billet de banque, John Law.[2][4]
  • 1821 – Je vous fiche mon billet que….[2]
  • 1838 – Prendre un billet de parterre.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A ticket: billet de train, billet d'avion, billet de loterie.[6][1]
  2. A banknote: un billet de cent euros.[1][2]
  3. A short letter, a note: billet doux, a love letter.[6][1]
  4. A short newspaper column on current events: le billet du jour.[6]
  5. (commerce) A promissory note: billet à ordre.[6][2]
  6. (familiar) Je te fiche mon billet que…: I bet you that…[2][8]

Word family

  • billetterie
  • billettiste
  • bulle
  • bulletin
  • billette

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
Cite this entry

“Billet.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/billet. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·