chiot

Forms

chiot m (plural chiots)^[1] First written chiaux (plural, 1552), then chiot (1611); Larousse also gave cheau.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin catellus (“little dog, puppy”), through a dialect form of the West and Centre of France that corresponds to Old French chael (12th century).^[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg say that it was taken from a dialect of the Centre or the West in the late 19th century.^[4] The Latin word, beside catulus (“young of an animal”), came to mean the puppy in particular and was associated with canis (“dog”).^[3] Wiktionary explains the present spelling as a reanalysis as chien with the suffix -ot.^[1]

Cognate with Italian catello and Old Occitan cadel.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as the plural chiaux “young dogs” in Pontus de Tyard's translation of Leone Ebreo, in 1552.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Cotgrave records chiot “young dog, little dog” in 1611, but this record stands alone, and the word took hold in general French only at the end of the 19th century.^[2][3] It is then counted as one of the family of chien, whose own derivative chiennot is hardly used.^[3][2]

Timeline

• 12th century – Old French chael is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1552 – Chiaux appears in Pontus de Tyard.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records chiot.^[2]
• 1907 – The Nouveau Larousse illustré records it.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A puppy, a young dog: une portée de chiots.^[5][6]
2. Especially, an unweaned young hunting dog.^[2][7]
3. The white-coated pup of the harp seal.^[1]

Related words

• chien
• Latin catellus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 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. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
7. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)