boucle

Forms

boucle f (plural boucles)^[1] Old French bucle, bocle and bougle.^[2][1][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French bucle, inherited from Latin buccula (“little cheek”), a diminutive of bucca (“cheek, mouth”).^[4][3][5][6] Latin used the word by likeness of shape for the boss of a shield (Livy), and that was the usual Old French sense; the meaning “ring, clasp” grew out of it.^[4][3] Littré explains the shield sense by the head or mouth often painted at the centre of the shield.^[2]

Cognate with Old Occitan bocla and bloca; dialect forms with /bl/ include Walloon blouke and Picard bluke.^[2][3][7] Italian buccola “earring” and Spanish bucle “curl” were taken from French.^[7][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1080) it is the central boss of a shield: toute lui freint la bucle de cristal “he smashes its crystal boss entirely”.^[5][2][4]

Semantic evolution

The shield sense went out of use in the 13th century.^[4] By metonymy the word passed to the ring set at the boss by which the shield was held, and then to any ring fitted with a tongue for fastening a strap (1160–90).^[4][5][3]

Special uses followed: an object shaped like a ring (1453), a door knocker, and boucle d'oreille “earring” (1671).^[4] The sense “curl of hair” (1671 according to the DHLF, 1676 according to Bloch and Wartburg) broke away from the others, supported by bouclette and bouclé; this is the sense most neighbouring languages borrowed.^[4][3] Figuratively boucle is the curve of a road or a river, and an aircraft's loop (1914); in the abstract it is a complete circuit that comes back to its start, as in boucler la boucle, a program loop, or en boucle “over and over”.^[4]

Timeline

• 1080 – Bucle “shield boss” appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[5][2]
• 1160–90 – First used of a fastening ring with a tongue.^[4]
• 13th century – The shield sense goes out of use.^[4]
• 1453 – Used of any ring-shaped object.^[4]
• 1671 – Boucle d'oreille and the sense “curl of hair” are recorded.^[4]
• 1914 – Used of an aircraft's loop.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A buckle: a frame with a tongue for fastening a strap or belt: la boucle de sa sandale.^[8][9][10]
2. A metal ring, for example for mooring.^[10][8]
3. Boucle d'oreille: an earring.^[4][1]
4. A curl or ringlet of hair.^[8][1]
5. A loop: the curve of a river or road, a loop drawn by a line or flown by an aircraft.^[4][1]
6. (computing) A loop in a program;^[4][1] en boucle: over and over: une chanson diffusée en boucle.^[4][1]
7. (history) The boss at the centre of a medieval shield.^[10][4]

Word family

• boucler
• reboucler
• bouclette
• bouclier
• déboucler

Related words

• bouche
• Latin buccula

Usage notes

Boucler la boucle is to come full circle.^[4][1] La Grande Boucle is a name for the Tour de France.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 590b
7. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
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