Etymologically
Log in

chaque

Etymology and origin of the French word chaque

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
c. 1176, Chrétien de Troyes, Cligès (chasque)
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (κατά)

Pronunciation

Forms

chaque (invariable)[1] Old and Middle French chasque; the vowel has no circumflex because the word was usually unstressed.[2][1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from chascun (chacun), made on the model of the pair quelque / quelqu'un.[2][1][3] “Chascun” itself comes from Old French “chaün”, from Late Latin “unum cata unum” “one by one”, with the preposition cata, from Ancient Greek κατά (katá), crossed with descendants of Latin quisque (“each”).[4][1][5]

Littré, following Diez, saw Latin “quisque” in it.[6] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert give a popular Latin “*casquunus”.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1176 Chrétien de Troyes writes in Cligès: Chasque nuit iert an dormant ivres “each night he will be drunk in his sleep”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Chaque became usual only from the 15th–16th century, gradually replacing chacun used as an adjective.[2][4][9] It can modify only a singular noun.[9] Familiar usage employs it before a number (chaque dix pas) for tous les, and as a pronoun for chacun (trente euros chaque), a use found in Chateaubriand and Hugo.[9][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1176 – Chasque in Chrétien de Troyes's Cligès.[2]
  • 15th–16th century – Chaque becomes usual, replacing adjectival chacun.[2][4]
  • 1580 – Chasque païs in Montaigne.[6]

Meanings

Determiner

  1. each, every: chaque jour, chaque chose à sa place.[8][1]
  2. Entre chaque: between each (of a series): entre chaque plat.[8]
  3. (familiar) Before a number: every: chaque dix pas.[9][3]
  4. (familiar) Each, apiece: trente euros chaque.[8][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Chaque.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/chaque. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·