consoude

Forms

consoude f (plural consoudes)^[1] Old French consoldre (12th century, an isolated form), then consoude (about 1265).^[2][3] Anglo-Norman spellings include consolde, cunsoude and consounde.^[4] In the 16th century Paré and Olivier de Serres write consolde and consoulde.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French consoude, inherited from Late Latin consolida (“comfrey”),^[2][3][6] from Latin consolidō (“to make firm, consolidate”),^[2][3] because one of the species was thought to knit flesh together,^[3] or for its astringent properties.^[2][6] Littré says it was believed to stop bleeding.^[5]

Bloch and Wartburg note that the word is often refashioned after the Latin or altered, as in console, frequent in the Centre.^[6]

Cognate with Spanish consuelda^[6][7] and Italian consolida.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as consoldre in a 12th-century glossary from Tours, naming the plant comfrey; the form consoude appears in a plant vocabulary of about 1265.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The plant owes its name to the great comfrey's reputation for closing wounds, and it is still used as an astringent.^[3][8] In the 16th century Paré distinguishes the great and the lesser consoude, and Olivier de Serres explains that the herb is so named for its power to consolidate.^[5]

The name was extended to other plants: consoude royale and petite consoude are the field larkspur.^[5][9] In Anglo-Norman it also named the daisy and the marigold.^[4]

Timeline

• 12th century – Consoldre appears in a glossary from Tours.^[2]
• c. 1265 – Consoude appears in a plant vocabulary.^[2][3]
• 16th century – Paré names les consoldes grande et petite.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Comfrey, a plant of the borage family growing in damp places; the great comfrey has been used in medicine as an astringent.^[2][8][1]
2. Consoude royale, petite consoude: the field larkspur, pied-d'alouette.^[5][9]

Related words

• consolider
• Late Latin consolida

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert