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chaloupe

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Etymology and origin of the French word chaloupe

Confidence
Disputed
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1522 a text from Brittany More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
Old French eschalope
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French chaloupe
Spanish chalupa

Pronunciation

Forms

chaloupe f (plural chaloupes)[1] Early forms: chaloppe (1522), then chaloupe (16th century).[2][3]

Etymology

It is first recorded as inherited from Middle French chaloppe (“a kind of flat boat”) in 1522, and in its present form in the 16th century.[2][3] The origin is disputed.[2][3][4]

The explanation the TLFi, Bloch and Wartburg and the DHLF prefer makes it a figurative use of the dialect word chalope (“nutshell”) (also Middle French, 1578).[2][5][3] That word is from Old French eschalope (“nutshell”) (1224) with the first syllable dropped,[2][5] and the Old French word was formed on eschale (“shell, husk”) (modern écale) with the ending of enveloppe.[2][5][3] The FEW files it under Frankish *skala.[6]

The other explanation, a borrowing from Dutch sloep (“boat, sloop”) proposed by Baist and followed by Littré and the REW,[2][7][8] is thought less likely: the Dutch word is recorded only in 1598, and most of the Germanic words of the group come from French, such as German Chaloupe (1648) and English shallop (1578).[2][3][1] Bloch and Wartburg hold that the Dutch word was itself borrowed from French and gave English sloop, whence French sloop (1752), and that Italian scialuppa and Spanish chalupa also come from French.[5] The link with Old Gascon calup is unclear.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1522 a text from Brittany uses chaloppe for a kind of flat boat.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The word names a small open boat carried by a ship for its service.[3][2] In Quebec it is more common and can mean any rowing boat, for fishing or for pleasure, and in the French of Madagascar it is used only of fishing boats.[3][9]

From the rocking of the boat, slang used chaloupe in 1845 for a wild, swaying dance,[2][3][10] the source of chalouper (1858) “to dance the chaloupe, to sway” and of valse chaloupée (1907).[3] English borrowed the word in the 16th century as shallop, a light boat.[11]

Timeline

  • 1522 – Chaloppe “flat boat” in a text from Brittany.[2][5]
  • 16th century – The form chaloupe appears in a Bordeaux chronicle.[2][12]
  • 1578 – English shallop is recorded.[2]
  • 1828–1829 – The derivative chaloupier in the slang of the galleys.[2][3]
  • 1845 – Slang chaloupe “a wild dance”.[2][3]
  • 1858 – The verb chalouper is derived from the dance.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (nautical) A launch, an undecked boat with oars or a motor, carried by a large ship or used in harbours: mettre la chaloupe à la mer.[9][2][1]
  2. Chaloupe de sauvetage: a lifeboat.[9][12]
  3. (Quebec) A small rowing boat: traverser le lac en chaloupe.[9][3]
  4. (slang, dated) A wild, swaying dance.[2][3]

Word family

  • chalouper
  • chaloupier
  • chaloupé
  • écale
  • sloop
  • English shallop

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 17, 84a
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  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. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  11. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  12. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Chaloupe.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/chaloupe. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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