Etymologically
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cinquante

Etymology and origin of the French word cinquante

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Inherited from
Latin cinquaginta via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (quīnquāgintā)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Belgium, France): /sɛ̃.kɑ̃t/[1]
  • IPA (Canada): /sẽ.kãt/[1]
  • IPA (Canada): /sãẽ̯.kãt/[1]

Forms

cinquante (invariable)[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French cinquante, inherited from Vulgar Latin cīnquāgintā, a form found in inscriptions, from Classical Latin quīnquāgintā (“fifty”) by regressive dissimilation.[2][3][4][5] The Latin numeral is related to quīnque (“five”).[6]

Cognate with Italian cinquanta, Old Occitan cinquanta, Catalan cinquanta, Spanish cincuenta and Portuguese cincoenta.[7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) it is a cardinal number: Cinquante chars qu'en fera charier.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

By extension it is used for a large number, as in cinquante fois “often”, found about 1268.[2][8] The noun use, the number fifty, dates from 1585, and the Académie records the ordinal use (page cinquante) in 1835.[2] Derivatives include cinquantaine and cinquantième (13th century) and cinquantenaire (1872), formed after centenaire.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – In the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1268 – Cinquante fois “often”.[2]
  • 13th century – Cinquantaine and cinquantième.[3]
  • 1585 – The noun, in Noël du Fail.[2]
  • 1835 – The ordinal use, recorded by the Académie.[2]
  • 1872 – Cinquantenaire.[3]

Meanings

Numeral

  1. Fifty: cinquante pages.[9][1]
  2. An indefinite large number: je ne vous le répéterai pas cinquante fois.[9][8]
  3. (ordinal) Fiftieth: page cinquante, les années cinquante.[8][2]

Noun

  1. The number fifty or the figure 50, cinquante pour cent, half.[8]

Word family

  • cinquantaine
  • cinquantième
  • cinquantenaire
  • cinq
  • quinquagénaire
  • Latin quīnquāgintā

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 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1479b
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Cinquante.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/cinquante. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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