Etymologically
Log in

cavalier

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the French word cavalier

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1470 Chastellain More words from the 15th century
Borrowed from
Italian cavaliere
Ultimate origin
Latin caballus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Italian cavaliere
French cavalier
From the same root
English cavalier ← cavaliere

Pronunciation

Forms

cavalier m (plural cavaliers, feminine cavalière)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian cavaliere (“nobleman serving on horseback, horseman”) (older cavalliere, cavaliero),[2][3][4] which is from Old Occitan cavalier.[2][3][1] The Occitan word is from Late Latin caballārius, from caballus (“horse”).[1][5][6] It is a doublet of chevalier, the inherited French outcome of the same Latin word.[1][7][2]

The adjective is the noun used attributively, from the sense “gentleman bearing arms”.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Chastellain uses it about 1470 for a nobleman serving on horseback, that is, a knight.[4][5][2] Rey dates the borrowing to about 1460.[3]

Semantic evolution

Cavalier gradually ousted chevalier from most of its uses, leaving the older word other senses.[2][3] In 1546 Rabelais uses it for a raised earthwork in fortification.[2][7] Before 1578 Monluc uses it for a gentleman bearing arms, a sense already old-fashioned in the 17th century, when cavalier became a courtesy title for a man of the world (1611).[2][3] It then named the man who escorts a lady in society (1688) and her dancing partner (1690); the woman was later called cavalière.[2][3] Cavalier servant did not last against chevalier servant, but faire cavalier seul “to act alone”, from a figure of the quadrille in which the man danced alone, is recorded from 1813.[3][8]

The plain sense “man on horseback” is recorded in Cotgrave in 1611; from it came the knight of chess (1752) and a paper format first marked with a horseman as watermark (1832).[2][3] By likeness of shape or position, “astride”, the word was applied to U-shaped metal pieces (1890) and to a straddle carrier.[3][8]

The adjective (about 1617–1620) first meant “noble, gallant” or “proper to a horseman”, then “free, easy” and finally “offhand, impertinent”.[2][3][9] Perspective cavalière (1866) is a view from above and behind.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1470 – Chastellain uses cavalier for a nobleman serving on horseback.[4][5]
  • 1546 – Rabelais uses cavallier for a fortification work.[2][7]
  • Before 1578 – Monluc uses it for a gentleman bearing arms.[2][3]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records “man on horseback” and “gentleman, man of the world”.[2][3]
  • 1614 – Cavalièrement “generously” is first recorded.[2][3]
  • 1617 – D'Aubigné uses the adjective for “noble, gallant”.[2][9]
  • 1688 – La Bruyère uses it for a lady's escort.[2][3]
  • 1690 – Furetière records “a lady's dancing partner”.[2][3]
  • 1752 – The Trévoux dictionary records the chess piece.[2][3]
  • 1813 – Cavalier seul is recorded as a quadrille figure.[3][8]
  • 1890 – It names a U-shaped metal piece.[3][8]
  • 1923 – Cavalière qualifies a path reserved for riders.[2][8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A rider, a person on horseback or who can ride: une excellente cavalière.[8][7][1]
  2. A soldier on horseback; today, a cavalry soldier.[8][7]
  3. (chess) The knight; also a card of the tarot between the queen and the jack.[8][1]
  4. A man who escorts a woman or is her partner at a dance;[8][1] cavalière, a man's dance partner: il cherchait une cavalière pour la valse.[8][1]
  5. Faire cavalier seul: to act alone, keep apart from others.[8][3][1]
  6. (obsolete) A gentleman bearing a sword; in the 17th century, a courtesy title.[8][2]
  7. (historical) A raised earthwork in a fortification, overlooking the defences.[8][7]
  8. A U-shaped staple or nail; a clip or tab for filing cards and folders.[8][1][10]
  9. A straddle carrier, a handling machine that straddles and lifts its load.[8]

Adjective

  1. Offhand, lacking consideration, impertinent: une réponse cavalière.[8][2]
  2. Reserved for riders: allée cavalière, piste cavalière.[8][2]
  3. Perspective cavalière: a view from above at an angle, a bird's-eye view.[8][3]
  4. (dated) Proper to a horseman; free and easy in manner.[8][3]

Word family

  • cavalièrement

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 t u v w 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 o p q r s t u v w 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  7. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Cavalier.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/cavalier. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·