biseau

Forms

biseau m (plural biseaux)^[1] 16th-century bizeau (plural bizeaulz).^[2]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[3][4][5] Rey, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert take it as probably from French biais, through an unrecorded form ⟨biaiseau⟩, pronounced ⟨bieseau⟩ after a shift of stress.^[3][4][6] Meyer-Lübke also lists it as a derivative of that adjective, itself of unknown origin.^[7]

Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF see instead a derivative of the adverb bis² (“twice”).^[8][9] Picoche explains it as an alteration, under an unknown influence such as that of the learned prefix bis-, of Old French beseau, an old derivative of Latin bis, *bisellus.^[10] Rey objects that a derivative of this adverb cannot be explained by its form, since the expected Romance outcome is ⟨bes⟩;^[3] Guiraud, however, finds the sense so strongly in its favour that he posits a Gallo-Romance ⟨bis⟩, from an expressive *bīs with a lengthened vowel or from *biseus (“made of two parts”), with the French word going back to a diminutive ⟨*bisellus⟩.^[3] Wiktionary proposes Old French *besel, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *bisalus (“stone with two sides”), from the same Latin adverb and āla.^[1] Littré compares Spanish bisel.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1451, in goldsmiths' work, for a bezel cut on the slant to hold the enamel of a jewel.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

From the 16th century it was used of any edge cut on the slant, notably in en biseau “at an acute angle”.^[3][4] Its technical uses in printing and joinery, recorded by Furetière in 1690, are narrowings of that general sense.^[3]

The verb biseauter, first written bizotter (1743), means “to bevel”; card cheats used it from 1846 for marking the edge of cards with a secret sign.^[3]

Timeline

• 13th century – The date Bloch and Wartburg, the GLLF and Picoche give for the first record.^[8][9][10]
• 1451 – Recorded in goldsmiths' work.^[3][4]
• 16th century – Used of any edge cut on the slant.^[3][4]
• 1690 – Furetière records its uses in printing and joinery.^[3]
• 1743 – The verb bizotter, later biseauter, appears.^[3][8]
• 1846 – Biseauter is used for marking playing cards.^[3]
• 1863 – Biseautage is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A bevel, an edge cut on the slant;^[6][11][5] en biseau, at an angle: un plateau de verre taillé en biseau.^[6][11][5]
2. A tool whose cutting edge is bevelled, such as a chisel.^[6][5][2]
3. (music) The bevelled piece in the mouthpiece of some wind instruments or at the mouth of an organ pipe.^[6][11]
4. (printing) A wooden strip bevelled on one side to take the wedges that lock the type in the forme.^[11][5]
5. (jewellery) A facet of a brilliant next to the table.^[11][5]

Word family

• biseauter
• biseautage
• ébiseler

Related words

• biais
• chanfrein

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
11. ^ a b c d e 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