carillon

Forms

carillon m (plural carillons)^[1] Old French carenon (1178), quaregnon (1190), quarrillon (before 1240) and quarrellon (1345).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French quarrillon, a resuffixed form of carenon, inherited from Vulgar Latin *quadriniō.^[3][2][1] The Vulgar Latin form is an alteration, after the words beginning with quadri-, of Late Latin quaterniō (“group of four”).^[2][4][3] The Vulgate uses it for a squad of four soldiers, and in the 5th century it named a quire of four leaves, hence anything square or made of four objects.^[2][3] The Latin word comes from quater (“four times”).^[5][6] The bells were named so because carillons were first made with four of them.^[7][3]

The same Latin word gave cahier.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the Roman de Renart (1178), in soner a carenon, “to ring a peal of four bells”.^[2][3][7]

Semantic evolution

In Old French quaregnon also meant a parchment folded in four (1190), and en quarrillon meant “in a square”; the sense “square” survives only in the technical fer de carillon (1676), a square iron rod.^[2][3] The bell sense prevailed: a set of four bells tuned to different notes and, by metonymy, their lively peal (1345).^[3][2] It then spread to other kinds of ringing, a tinkling (1657) and a bell with several tones, and to the striking system of a clock (1752).^[2][3][8]

Faire carillon meant “to make a din” in 1718, and the noun was used of noisy reproaches.^[2][5][9] The verb carillonner (15th century) gave carillonneur (1601), known above all from a popular song.^[3][4] English borrowed carillon from French in 1775.^[6]

Timeline

• 1178 – Soner a carenon appears in the Roman de Renart.^[2]
• 1190 – Quaregnon names a parchment folded in four.^[2][3]
• 1345 – Quarrellon names a peal of four bells.^[2][4]
• 15th century – The verb carillonner appears.^[3][4]
• 1657 – Cyrano de Bergerac uses it of a tinkling.^[2]
• 1676 – Fer de carillon is recorded by Félibien.^[2]
• 1718 – Faire carillon “to make a din” is recorded.^[2][5]
• 1752 – The sense “clock chime” is recorded.^[3][8]
• 1775 – English borrows the word.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A set of bells tuned to different notes, as in a church tower or belfry; a carillon.^[10][11][12]
2. The chiming system of a clock, which sounds the hours automatically; also a clock with such a chime.^[10][11][12]
3. A doorbell or electric bell that plays several notes.^[10][11]
4. A tune played on a carillon; a lively, joyful peal of bells.^[10][11][12]
5. (dated, familiar) A din, a loud racket, or noisy reproaches.^[2][8][9]

Word family

• carillonner
• carillonneur

Related words

• cahier
• Late Latin quaterniō
• English carillon

References

1. ^ a b c 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 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
12. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)