Etymologically
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ciseau

Etymology and origin of the French word ciseau

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1155–1160, ciseaus (Roman de Thèbes)
Inherited from
Latin *cisellum via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (caedō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /si.zo/[1]

Forms

ciseau m (plural ciseaux)[1] Old French cisel (plural ciseaus).[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French cisel, inherited from Vulgar Latin *cisellum,[3][4][5][2][1][6] an alteration, after the compounds of Latin caedō (“to cut”) in “-cīsus” (“incīsus”, “occīsus”), of *caesellum,[3][4][5] formed on “caes-”, the stem of the past participle caesus or of a frequentative verb.[3][4] Compare Late Latin cisōrium (“cutting tool”) (Vegetius).[5] Littré reports Diez's alternative derivation from Latin sīcīlis (“small lance”).[7]

Cognate with Occitan cisèl, Catalan cisell, Italian cesello and Spanish cincel;[1] English chisel comes from Old Northern French.[1][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Roman de Thèbes (1155–1160) has trenchanz ciseaus, a flat tool sharp at one end for cutting stone or wood.[3][8]

Semantic evolution

About 1178 the Roman de Renart uses the singular and then the plural ciseaux for a cutting instrument of two crossing blades, scissors.[3][5] The sculptor's chisel came to stand for sculpture and an artist's hand: un bon ciseau (1690), le ciseau de Michel-Ange (1718).[3][8]

The crossing blades gave sailing voiles en ciseaux (1831), the dancer's and gymnast's ciseaux (1934) and the scissor hold in wrestling.[3][8][1] Derivatives are ciseler “to chisel, engrave” (13th century) and ciselure (1307).[5]

Timeline

  • 1155–1160 – Ciseaus, a chisel.[3][2]
  • c. 1178 – Scissors (Renart).[3]
  • 13th century – Ciseler.[5]
  • 1690 – A sculptor's skill (Furetière).[3]
  • 1831 – Voiles en ciseaux.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A chisel.[9][1]
  2. Ciseaux (plural): scissors.[9][1]
  3. (literary) Sculpture; a sculptor's art.[8][3]
  4. A scissor kick or scissors hold.[1][8]

Word family

  • ciseler
  • ciseleur
  • ciselure

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f 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, 39b
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e 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

“Ciseau.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/ciseau. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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