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boule

Etymology and origin of the French word boule

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1175, Roman de Renart
Inherited from
Latin bulla via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (bulla)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin bulla
French boule
Latin bullesco
Latin bullio
English ebullient

Pronunciation

Forms

boule f (plural boules)[1] Old French bole (about 1175); boule from 1330–1332.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French bole, inherited from Latin bulla (“bubble; knob, round object”),[2][4][5][6] taken by word of mouth, while the learned bulle was borrowed later.[2][1] Rey calls “bulla” an expressive word suggesting a round shape, perhaps of imitative origin.[2] Wiktionary also mentions Frankish *bollā (“ball, bowl”), which would make it a doublet of bol.[1]

Cognate with Old Occitan bola, Catalan bola, Spanish bola, Portuguese bola and Romanian bulă.[4][7][8] English boule is borrowed from French.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Roman de Renart (about 1175) has bole in the sense “club, cudgel”.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The idea of a round knob, as in “club” and the boule of a seal (1294, later bulle), was lost before the 16th century, Old French also had mie une bole “not the least thing” (1258).[2][3] The general sense “sphere, round object” (1330–1332) now covers the whole word.[2] From Old French on it named the ball used in games, whence les boules (fashionable in the 17th century) and la boule lyonnaise, of which pétanque is a southern variety, la boule was also a game of chance like roulette (1763).[2][9] Boules blanches, noires were used in voting.[2][10]

As a familiar word for the head (1798) it gave perdre la boule (1819) and coup de boule (1892).[2][9] Other phrases include boule de neige, boule puante (1890) and mystère et boule de gomme, avoir les boules (about 1980) arose in schoolchildren's slang.[2] In Quebec boule is used where France says balle, and in Africa it is a ball of starchy paste eaten with sauce.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1175 – Bole “club” in the Roman de Renart.[3]
  • 1258 – Mie une bole “not a jot”.[2]
  • 1294 – The boule of a seal.[2]
  • 1330–1332 – Boule “sphere”.[3]
  • 1347 – Boulet.[4]
  • 1557 – Bouleverser.[4]
  • 1763 – A game of chance.[9]
  • 1798 – “Head”.[2]
  • 1819 – Perdre la boule.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A ball, sphere: boule de neige, boule de cristal, se mettre en boule: to curl up.[7][11]
  2. A bowl, (plural) bowls, boules, pétanque: jouer aux boules.[1][2]
  3. A scoop (of ice cream).[1][7]
  4. (familiar) The head: perdre la boule: to go mad, coup de boule: headbutt.[2][1]
  5. (familiar) Avoir les boules: to be fed up; to be scared.[2][1]
  6. Boule de gomme: gumdrop, mystère et boule de gomme: it's a mystery.[12][2]
  7. (Belgium) A boiled sweet.[11]

Word family

  • boulette
  • bouleverser
  • bouliste
  • bouler
  • boulet
  • boulon
  • abouler
  • bouleversement
  • débouler
  • bulle
  • bouillir
  • Latin bulla
  • English boule

Usage notes

Two minor homographs: boule (masculine), the marquetry of the cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), from his name;[4] and slang boule “backside”, borrowed from Romani bul.[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 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
  3. ^ 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
  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. ^ 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, 607b
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Boule.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/boule. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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