chardon

Forms

chardon m (plural chardons)^[1] Anglo-Norman cardun (1086), then chardon (about 1200).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French chardon, inherited from Late Latin cardō (“thistle”), an altered form of Latin carduus (“thistle, artichoke”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Wiktionary notes that this Late Latin noun is unrelated to the Classical Latin word for “hinge”.^[1] The Latin word is also the source of carde and carder, and through Provençal cardoun of cardon, a doublet.^[3][1]

Cognate with Catalan cardó.^[7] Italian cardo and Spanish cardo continue the classical form itself.^[4][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is cardun in 1086, a French word in the Domesday Book, naming the thistle; the form chardon appears about 1200 in the Roman de Renart.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Properly a plant of the daisy family, the name spread to many other prickly plants.^[3][5] By likeness of shape, in the 16th century it named iron spikes set on top of a wall or railing to stop people climbing it.^[3][2] It also took a few technical senses in locksmithing and textiles,^[3] and teasels used for raising cloth were chardons à foulon in Étienne Boileau's Livre des métiers.^[8]

The goldfinch, chardonneret (1479), was named for its fondness for thistle seeds.^[3][4] Old French had many other names for it, all derived from chardon.^[3]

Timeline

• 1086 – Cardun appears in the Domesday Book.^[2][3]
• c. 1200 – Chardon is used in the Roman de Renart.^[2]
• 13th century – Chardon à foulon appears in the Livre des métiers.^[8]
• 1479 – The derivative chardonneret “goldfinch” is recorded.^[3]
• 1530 – Chardonnette names a wild artichoke.^[2][3]
• Early 16th century – Chardons de fer “iron spikes” is recorded.^[2]
• 1583 – The verb chardonner is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A thistle, a plant of the daisy family with prickly leaves and bracts.^[9][10]
2. Any of several other prickly plants: chardon à foulon (teasel), chardon bleu des Alpes.^[9][5]
3. (in the plural) Iron spikes set on a wall or railing to prevent climbing.^[9][10][1]

Word family

• chardonneret
• chardonnette
• chardonner

Related words

• carde
• carder
• cardon
• Latin carduus

Usage notes

Aimable comme un chardon is said ironically of a surly, prickly person.^[9][8] Littré also records bête à manger du chardon for a very dull person.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 368a
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)