chaudron

Forms

chaudron m (plural chaudrons)^[1] Old French chauderon, the usual spelling until the 18th century; the Académie noted in 1740 that chauderon was pronounced chaudron, and wrote chaudron in 1762.^[2][3] Anglo-Norman caudron, chaudrun.^[4]

Etymology

It is formed from French chaudière + -eron, from the stem of the noun.^[2][3][5][6] Chaudière is from Late Latin caldāria (“sweating room, cooking pot”).^[6][1][7]

Compare Picard caudron, Spanish calderón and Italian calderone.^[8][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as chauderon in the Charroi de Nîmes (mid-12th century), for a cooking vessel.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It took the older sense of chaudière and names a vessel smaller than the old chaudière, used in the household, especially for cooking, and for making certain products.^[5][2] Technical uses followed: the part of a perfume burner where perfumes are burned (1690) and the tub in which gut was prepared for musical strings (1753).^[2][5] From 1704 it was used familiarly for a poor musical instrument.^[2][9]

English cauldron comes from the Anglo-Norman and northern Old French form caudron; its ⟨l⟩ was added in the 15th century after Latin.^[10][1]

Timeline

• c. 1150 – Chauderon appears in the Charroi de Nîmes.^[2][5]
• 1277 – The derivative chaudronnier is recorded.^[6][5]
• c. 1300 – English borrows the northern form as caudron.^[10]
• 1329 – The spelling chaudron is found.^[2][3]
• 1690 – Furetière records it for part of a perfume burner.^[2]
• 1704 – The Dictionnaire de Trévoux has it for a poor musical instrument.^[2][9]
• 1762 – The Académie adopts the spelling chaudron.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A cauldron, a deep metal pot with a movable handle, put on the fire: un chaudron de cuivre sur le feu.^[11][2][1]
2. Its contents: un chaudron de lait.^[11][9]
3. (Quebec) A saucepan or pot.^[11][1]
4. (figurative) A bad, tinny musical instrument.^[11][2]
5. (technical) The flared top of a high boot.^[11]

Word family

• chaudronnée
• chaudronnier
• chaudronnerie

Related words

• chaud
• chaudière
• Late Latin caldāria
• English cauldron

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 i j k l m 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 1503
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert