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bouquetière

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Etymology and origin of the French word bouquetière

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1562 Du Pinet More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
French bouquet,-ière

Forms

bouquetière f[1][2] A masculine bouquetier is recorded in 1635 but is not in use.[1][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French bouquet + -ière.[1][4][5][6] The base word, meaning “bunch of flowers”, is the Norman and Picard form of a diminutive of Old French bos “wood”, first meaning “small wood”.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi, the Grand Robert and the GLLF date it to 1562, in Du Pinet;[1][4][7][5] Bloch and Wartburg give 1566.[1][4][7][5] It meant a woman who makes and sells bunches of flowers in public places.[3]

Semantic evolution

The sense has stayed the same: a flower seller, especially one selling bunches in the street, in theatres or at a kiosk.[3][1][2] The Petit Robert also records bouquetière de légumes, a garnish made of several vegetables, and the name of a kind of vase.[2] The Wiktionnaire gives it as another name for the pique-fleurs, a holder in which flowers are stuck.[6]

Timeline

  • 1562 – First record, in Du Pinet.[1][7]
  • 1566 – Date given by Bloch and Wartburg.[5]
  • 1635 – The masculine bouquetier is recorded by Monet.[1]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A woman who makes up and sells bunches of flowers in public places, a street florist: la bouquetière du marché.[1][2][8]
  2. (cooking) Bouquetière de légumes: a garnish of several vegetables.[2]
  3. A kind of vase for flowers.[2][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Bouquetière.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/bouqueti%C3%A8re. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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