coiffer

Forms

coiffer^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French coiffe + -er.^[2][3][4][1] The noun is from Late Latin cofia (“cap, bonnet”), a loanword of obscure origin, perhaps from Germanic.^[2][5] Bloch and Wartburg derive it from a West Germanic word and compare Italian cuffia and Spanish cofia.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1280 the Clef d'Amors uses it of putting a coif on someone's head; in the same period the Contenance des fames describes a woman who is washed, combed, coifée and braided, where it may already mean arranging the hair.^[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

From putting a cap on someone, the verb came to mean putting a head covering on oneself (1538, Marot).^[2][5] The sense “arrange someone's hair” is found in Old French and is well established from 1675.^[5][7]

The expression être né coiffé “to be born lucky” (1549) comes from coiffe in the anatomical sense of the membrane that covers some babies' heads at birth.^[5][2] A figurative sense “to turn someone's head” gave être coiffé de, se coiffer de “to be infatuated with” (1599).^[5][2] Coiffer sainte Catherine (1842) was said of a young woman still unmarried at twenty-five, Saint Catherine being the patroness of unmarried girls.^[7][6]

In sport the verb came to mean beating a rival by a head at the finish (1906), as in coiffer au poteau, and later (1954) to be at the head of an organization.^[5][7]

Timeline

• c. 1280 – The Clef d'Amors uses it of putting a coif on someone.^[2][3]
• 2nd half of the 13th century – The Contenance des fames has coifée beside combed and braided hair.^[2][6]
• 1538 – Marot uses it of putting a covering on one's own head.^[2]
• 1549 – Estienne records né coiffé “born lucky”.^[2][5]
• 1599 – Fauchet uses coiffé de “infatuated with”.^[2][5]
• 1669 – The derivative coiffeur is recorded.^[4]
• 1675 – The sense “to do someone's hair” is recorded.^[7][8]
• 1842 – Coiffer sainte Catherine is recorded.^[7]
• 1906 – The racing sense “to beat by a head” appears.^[5]
• 1954 – It comes to mean “to head, oversee”.^[5][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To cover the head of (someone) with a hat or cap: Il coiffa son fils d'une casquette.^[7][2]
2. By analogy, to cover or top (something): Un nuage coiffait la montagne.^[7][8]
3. To put (a hat) on one's head.^[7]
4. To do the hair of (someone), to arrange their hair: Sa sœur la coiffe tous les matins.^[7][1]
5. (reflexive) Se coiffer: to do one's own hair.^[7][1]
6. (dated) To charm (someone), and reflexive se coiffer de, to become infatuated with.^[7][5]
7. (sport) To beat (a rival) by a head at the finish: se faire coiffer au poteau, to be overtaken on the line, figuratively to lose first place.^[7][1]
8. To be at the head of, to oversee (several departments or companies).^[7][8]
9. Coiffer sainte Catherine: of a young woman, to be still unmarried at twenty-five.^[7][6]

Word family

• coiffeur
• coiffeuse
• coiffure

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse