brebis

Forms

brebis f (invariable)^[1] Old French berbis and berbiz; the form brebis appears in the 13th century, and berbis is still found in the 16th.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French berbis, inherited from Vulgar Latin *berbix (“sheep”), from Late Latin berbēx (“wether”), an altered form of Latin vervēx (“wether, ram”), a word of obscure origin.^{[2][5][3][1][6]} Rey suggests that the Vulgar Latin form may have been reshaped after animal names such as perdīx (“partridge”).^[2] The modern form arose in the 13th century by metathesis of /er/ in the older form.^[2][3]

The sense “ewe” appears in late Latin writers of Gaulish origin and spread above all in northern France, where the Celtic word behind mouton kept the general sense “sheep”.^[5][2] The Latin word ousted ovicula (“little sheep”), which survives as ouaille in the dialects of the Centre, West and South-West, and fēta (“female that has given birth”), which lives on in southern dialects (Old Occitan feda).^[2][5][7] The older sense “ram” survives in Romanian berbec.^[5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as berbis in the Laws of William the Conqueror, in a list of livestock beside horses, oxen, cows and pigs, meaning a sheep or ewe.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named the female of the sheep; a 16th-century use of brebis mâle for the sheep in general did not last.^[2] Its figurative uses picture a gentle, passive person and, after the Gospel parable of the Good Shepherd, a Christian faithful to his pastor.^[2][9] With a disparaging adjective it meant a bad Christian: Calvin wrote brebis rongneuse in the 16th century, a forerunner of brebis galeuse (1690), which has equivalents in Italian, German, English and Danish.^[2] In the French of Luxembourg brebis noire has the same meaning.^[2]

Littré also records faire un repas de brebis “to eat without drinking” and, in cider-making, brebis for the wooden beam of a press.^[4]

Timeline

• 12th century – Berbis is recorded in the Laws of William the Conqueror.^[2][4]
• c. 1170 – The diminutive brebiette “young ewe” appears; it went out of use in the 17th century.^[2]
• 13th century – The metathesized form brebis appears, as in the Roman de la Rose.^[2][4]
• 1291 – Brebiage, a feudal due levied on sheep, is recorded.^[2]
• 16th century – Calvin calls a bad Christian a brebis rongneuse.^[2]
• 1690 – First record of brebis galeuse “black sheep”.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A ewe, the adult female of the sheep: du lait de brebis, un fromage de brebis.^[9][10]
2. (religion, figurative) A Christian in the care of his pastor, one of the flock.^[9][4][1]
3. Brebis galeuse: an undesirable or harmful member of a group, a black sheep.^[9][1]
4. (figurative) A very gentle and defenceless person.^[11][10]

Word family

• brebis galeuse

Related words

• berger
• bercail
• Latin vervēx

Usage notes

Several old proverbs use the word, such as à brebis tondue Dieu mesure le vent “God sends trials in proportion to one's strength” and qui se fait brebis, le loup le mange “too much meekness invites harm”.^[11] Dialects of the Berry and Picardy keep the old form berbis.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 337a
7. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b 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
11. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse