chèvrefeuille

Forms

chèvrefeuille m (plural chèvrefeuilles)^[1] Old French chievrefeuil, chevrefoil, chevrefueil.^[2][3][4] Chèvrefeuil was still written in the 17th century and by the Académie in 1740.^[5][6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French chievrefeuil, inherited from Late Latin caprifolium, literally “goat's leaf”, recorded for the honeysuckle after the 7th century and for the privet in the 10th.^[2][7] The Latin word is formed from capra (“she-goat”) and folium (“leaf”);^[7][3] Wiktionary gives caper (“he-goat”) as its first part.^[1] Littré suggests that the plant was so named because it climbs like a goat.^[4]

The modern ending replaced ⟨-feuil⟩ in the 17th century, as the old word feuil gave way to the modern noun; the spelling ⟨chèvrefeuille⟩ is in Cotgrave (1611) and in Richelet (1680).^[7][5][6][2] Unlike that noun, which is feminine, the word is masculine, so it is not a French compound of chèvre and feuille.^[1]

Cognate with Italian caprifoglio and Old Occitan caprifuelh.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears about 1180 as chievrefeuil in the Lais of Marie de France, in the lai of the honeysuckle twined round the hazel.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Of the Late Latin senses French kept only the climbing shrub with fragrant flowers.^[7] In the Middle Ages the plant had a symbolic value.^[7]

Timeline

• 7th century – Late Latin caprifolium names the honeysuckle.^[2][7]
• c. 1180 – Chievrefeuil in the Lais of Marie de France.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records the form chèvrefeuille.^[6]
• 1680 – Richelet has chèvrefeuille.^[2]
• 1740 – The Académie still writes chèvrefeuil.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. Honeysuckle, a climbing shrub of the genus Lonicera with fragrant flowers.^[2][8][1]

Related words

• chèvre
• feuille
• cerfeuil
• Latin caprifolium

References

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