cierge

Forms

cierge m (plural cierges)^[1] Old French cirge (1119), cerge and cierge (about 1165).^[2][3] Anglo-Norman also had cerege, sierge and sirge.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French cirge, inherited from Latin cēreus (“wax candle”), the masculine of the adjective of the same form, “of wax”, used as a noun, from cēra (“wax”).^[2][5][6] The word stayed in touch with the Latin of the liturgy, and its sound development is irregular; the TLFi and Rey compare that of vierge.^[2][6] It is related to cire.^[6][7]

Cognate with Italian cero, Catalan ciri, Spanish cirio and Portuguese círio.^[8][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Philippe de Thaon's Comput (1119) has the form cirge, a wax candle;^[2][6] cierge is found in Chrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide about 1165.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named the long, thin wax candle burned in church and in Christian rites.^[6][2] Littré's quotations show it lit and carried in medieval texts, such as the Roman de la Rose.^[7]

From 1694 (Thomas Corneille), by likeness of shape, it has also been the name of a tall columnar cactus of tropical America.^[2][6][3] Wiktionary treats this sense as taken from the botanical Latin name Cereus.^[1]

The derivative ciergier “candle maker or seller” is recorded as siergier in 1480 and ciergier in 1495–1496.^[2][6]

Timeline

• 1119 – Cirge in Philippe de Thaon's Comput.^[2][6]
• c. 1165 – Cierge in Chrétien de Troyes's Erec et Enide.^[2]
• 1480 – The derivative siergier “candle maker” is recorded.^[2]
• 1694 – Thomas Corneille uses it for a cactus.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A long, thin wax candle used in Christian worship: le cierge pascal, a large candle blessed for Easter.^[9][7]
2. Brûler un cierge à un saint: to light a candle to a saint in thanks.^[9]
3. Droit comme un cierge: standing very straight and stiff.^[7][3]
4. (botany) A tall columnar cactus of tropical America, the cereus.^[9][2][1]

Word family

• ciergier

Related words

• cire
• Latin cēreus

Usage notes

Old French also had a word cierge “hind”, from Latin cervia, which did not survive.^[8][10]

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 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 604b
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 613a