corde
Pronunciation
- IPA: /kɔʁd/[1]
Forms
corde f (plural cordes)[1] First corda (late 10th century), then corde (1130–1140, Wace).[2][3]
Etymology
It is borrowed from Latin chorda (“gut string of an instrument; cord”), from Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “gut; string of gut”).[3][4][1] Rey mentions the hypothesis that the Greek word comes from Hittite karad- (“intestines”).[3] In Latin it passed from a musical term to a familiar synonym of fūnis (“rope”), as early as Plautus, and replaced it; the Old French outcome of fūnis, fun, disappeared very early.[3][4] Cognate with Old Occitan corda, Italian corda and Spanish cuerda.[5]
Earliest recorded meaning
The Passion of Clermont (late 10th century) has corda for strands of textile twisted together.[2]
Semantic evolution
The uses followed those of the thing.[3] About 1165 it named a bowstring, and about 1175 the hangman's rope, whence la corde for hanging (1612) and the proverb about not speaking of rope in the house of a hanged man (Sévigné, 1680).[2][3][6] It meant the string of a musical instrument from the 11th century, and it also names the vocal cords.[7][1] The tightrope of acrobats is recorded in 1531, the skipping rope in 1837 (corde à danser in Quebec), the rail of a racecourse in 1855, whence tenir la corde (1869), and the ropes of mountaineers (1868) and boxers (1904).[3] In geometry the chord of an arc is in Furetière (1690).[2] Avoir deux cordes à son arc is found before 1300, la corde sensible in 1835, and Sévigné writes on voit la corde, the threads show, in 1672.[5][7][6]
Timeline
- Late 10th century – Corda in the Passion.[2]
- c. 1165 – A bowstring.[2]
- c. 1175 – The hangman's rope.[2]
- 1531 – A tightrope.[3]
- 1680 – The proverb of the hanged man's house, in Sévigné.[6]
- 1690 – The chord of an arc, in Furetière.[2]
- 1837 – Corde à sauter.[3]
- 1869 – Tenir la corde.[3]
Meanings
Noun
- A rope: strands twisted or plaited together: corde de chanvre, échelle de corde.[8][2]
- The rope used for hanging; the gallows: mériter la corde.[3][2]
- A string of a musical instrument, instruments à cordes, string instruments, toucher la corde sensible, to strike a chord.[7][1]
- Cordes vocales: the vocal cords.[1]
- A tightrope; a skipping rope: sauter à la corde.[3][1]
- (racing) The rail, tenir la corde, to have the inside track, to be the favourite.[3][1]
- (geometry) A chord.[2][1]
- Il pleut des cordes: it is raining heavily, usé jusqu'à la corde: threadbare, avoir plus d'une corde à son arc: to have more than one string to one's bow.[1][5]
Word family
- cordage
- cordeau
- cordelette
- corder
- cordée
- cordon
- cordier
Related words
- Latin chorda
- English cord
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
- ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert