cerise

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sə.ʁiz/^[1]

Forms

cerise (invariable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French cerise, inherited from Vulgar Latin *ceresia, a neuter plural taken as a feminine singular,^{[2][3][4][1][5]} from Late Latin ceresium (6th century), a variant of imperial cerasium,^[2][3][6] borrowed from Ancient Greek κεράσιον (kerásion, “cherry”), from κερασός (kerasós, “cherry tree”),^[2][1] perhaps from a language of Asia Minor, the tree being native to the Black Sea region.^[3][1] Tradition says Lucullus brought the fruit and its name to Rome after his war against Mithridates;^[3] Littré connected the name with the town of Cerasus in Pontus.^[7]

German Kirsche goes back to “cerasium”.^[3] Cognate with Italian ciliegia, Spanish cereza and Portuguese cereja.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Bodel's Chanson des Saisnes (about 1190) has the word for the fruit of the cherry tree.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Besides the fruit, the word names other small round fruits, such as the coffee berry, its usual sense in African French.^[3] As an invariable adjective, cerise is cherry red (1803).^[8][1] Slang used it for the head (1903).^[8]

Timeline

• 6th century – Late Latin ceresium.^[2][3]
• 1165 – Cerisier.^[4]
• c. 1190 – Cerise (Jean Bodel).^[2][6]
• 1803 – Adjective “cherry red”.^[8]
• 1903 – Slang “head”.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A cherry.^[9][1]
2. (Africa) A coffee berry.^[3]
3. (slang, dated) The head.^[8]

Adjective

1. Cerise, cherry red (invariable).^[8][1]

Word family

• cerisier

Related words

• English cherry
• English cerise

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 598a
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert