Etymologically
Log in

chaton

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the French word chaton

chaton1 bezel of a ring

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1160–1170 Marie de France, Lais
Borrowed from
Frankish *kastō
Ultimate origin
Frankish *kastō

Pronunciation

Forms

chaton m (plural chatons)[1] Old French chastun (1160–70), caston (about 1200), chaston (13th century); the spelling chaton is recorded in 1614–1616.[2][3]

Etymology

The word for the bezel of a ring is borrowed from Frankish *kastō (“box, case”), reconstructed from Old High German kasto, German Kasten and Dutch kast “chest”.[2][4][5][6] The specialization in jewellery probably took place in French, since in this field Germanic rather borrowed from Latin.[2][4] Rey holds a West Germanic source less likely than Frankish, because the Romance equivalents were taken from French;[4] Italian castone is probably a borrowing from French.[5][7] Guiraud instead proposes a derivative of Latin capsa (“box”), whose meaning was blurred by its homonym meaning “kitten”.[4][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as chastun in Marie de France's Lai du Fresne (1160–70), for the raised part of a ring in which a precious stone is set.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

By metonymy it came to mean the precious stone itself (1780, collier de chatons).[2][4] By likeness of shape it gained technical senses: in anatomy, chaton de l'œil (Cotgrave, 1611), and in botany the shell of the hazelnut (1704) and the cup of the acorn.[2][4]

Timeline

  • 1160–70 – Chastun in Marie de France's Lais.[2]
  • c. 1200 – Caston in the Lai de Mélion.[3][9]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records chaton de l'œil.[2]
  • 1616 – The spelling chaton in Hulsius's French–German dictionary.[2]
  • 1704 – The botanical sense “hazelnut shell”.[2]
  • 1780 – Used of the precious stone itself.[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The bezel of a ring, the head in which a precious stone is set.[10][2]
  2. The stone set in it.[10][9]
  3. A raised part of a ring, of the same metal, on which a monogram is engraved.[3]

Word family

  • enchatonner

chaton2 kitten; catkin

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1261 Rutebeuf, Dit d'Hypocrisie
Ultimate origin
Latin cattus
Etymology tree of chaton2
inherited borrowed derived
Latin cattus
French chat
French chaton
Italian gatto
Spanish gato
From the same root · chaton2
Latin catta ← cattus

Pronunciation

Forms

chaton m (plural chatons, feminine chatonne)[1]

Etymology

The word for a kitten is formed from French chat + -on, with the diminutive suffix.[2][8][4][1] The botanical sense comes from a likeness to a cat's tail, in shape and softness.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Rutebeuf's Dit d'Hypocrisie (1261), meaning a young cat.[2]

Semantic evolution

In botany it has named the soft, spike-like flowering cluster of the willow, hazel or birch since 1530 (Palsgrave) or 1531.[2][4] The Petit Robert also records it for the fluffy balls of dust that gather under furniture.[10]

Timeline

  • 1261 – First recorded in Rutebeuf, for a young cat.[2]
  • 1530 – Palsgrave records the botanical sense “catkin”.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A kitten, a young cat; feminine chatonne.[10][2]
  2. (botany) A catkin, the soft spike of flowers of the willow, hazel, birch and similar trees.[10][2]
  3. A ball of dust under furniture.[10]

Word family

  • chatonner

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 s t 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b 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. 16, 301b
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

  • malle · also from Frankish
  • houx · also from Frankish
  • halle · also from Frankish
  • gué · also from Frankish
  • canif · also from Frankish
  • haïr · also from Frankish
  • étai · also from Frankish
  • barguigner · also from Frankish
Cite this entry

“Chaton.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/chaton. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·