Etymologically
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cheveu

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʃə.vø/[1]
  • IPA: /ʃfø/[1]
  • IPA (France): /ʃø.vø/[1]

Forms

cheveu m (plural cheveux)[1] Old French chevel, subject case chevels, cheveus, cheveu from the 15th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French chevel, inherited from Latin capillus (“hair of the head; the hair”).[4][2][5][6][1] The Latin word, which first meant the whole head of hair, has no certain etymology; links with caput (“head”) and pilus (“hair”) are doubtful.[2][5] It supplanted crīnis (see crin).[5] South of a line from the Vendée to French-speaking Switzerland, most Gallo-Romance dialects say “poil” instead.[5]

Cognate with Italian capello, Old Occitan cabel, Catalan cabell, Spanish cabello and Portuguese cabelo.[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the middle of the 11th century in the Vie de saint Alexis, as the plural chevels.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

En cheveux “bareheaded” (15th century) recalls a time when a hat or coif was expected; in the 19th century it was said of working-class women.[2][4] Figurative phrases include prendre l'occasion aux cheveux (1558), faire dresser les cheveux (before 1630), and fendre un cheveu en deux (1690), now couper les cheveux en quatre.[4][8] Poets spoke of les verds cheveux du boccage (Du Bellay), and botany has cheveux de Vénus (1556).[4] Derivatives include chevelure (about 1080), chevelu (12th century) and échevelé (11th century).[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Chevels in the Vie de saint Alexis.[4]
  • c. 1080 – Chevelure in the Chanson de Roland.[5]
  • 15th century – En cheveux “bareheaded”.[4]
  • 1558 – Empoigner l'occasion aux cheveux, in Du Bellay.[4]
  • 1690 – Fendre un cheveu en deux, in Furetière.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A hair of the head, les cheveux: the hair: se couper les cheveux.[1][2]
  2. Couper les cheveux en quatre: to split hairs.[8][9]
  3. Il s'en est fallu d'un cheveu: it was a close shave, avoir un cheveu sur la langue: to lisp.[9][10]
  4. Cheveux d'ange: angel-hair pasta; tinsel.[9][2]

Word family

  • chevelu
  • chevelure
  • échevelé

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
  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. 2, 247b
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert