chou-fleur

Forms

chou-fleur m (plural choux-fleurs)^[1] Le Robert also gives the reformed spelling choufleur.^[2]

Etymology

It is a calque from Italian cavolfiore, made of cavolo (“cabbage”) and fiore (“flower”), which is recorded towards the end of the 16th century;^[3][4] The calque is formed from French chou + fleur.^[3][5][6] The FEW cites a northern Italian form caolifior.^[3][7]

Before the calque, French used the Italian word itself: colifiori in Noël du Fail (1585) and caulifiori in Olivier de Serres (1603), and a half-French choufleuri appears in Hulsius's French–German dictionary of 1596.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as choux fleurs in Cotgrave's French–English dictionary of 1611.^[3][8]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its sense of a cabbage grown for its dense white head of flowers.^[6][3] By likeness of shape, Littré records a medical use for a kind of wart on a common stalk,^[9] and the familiar phrase oreilles en chou-fleur describes ears swollen and misshapen by blows, as in boxing.^[3][6] In African French the vegetable is also called boule de neige.^[4]

Timeline

• 1585 – Noël du Fail uses the Italian colifiori.^[3]
• 1596 – Hulsius's dictionary has choufleuri.^[3]
• 1603 – Olivier de Serres writes caulifiori.^[3]
• 1611 – Choux fleurs is recorded by Cotgrave.^[3][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. cauliflower, a variety of cabbage whose dense white inflorescences are eaten: un chou-fleur à la béchamel.^[6][3][2]
2. Oreilles en chou-fleur: ears swollen and deformed by blows, cauliflower ears.^[6][3]
3. (medicine, dated) A kind of condyloma whose growths join on a common stalk.^[9]

Related words

• chou
• fleur
• chou-rave
• Italian cavolfiore

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 537b
8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette