Etymologically
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couper

Etymology and origin of the French word couper

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
early 12th century, Lois de Guillaume
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (κόλαφος)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ku.pe/[1]

Forms

couper[1] Old French colper, coper.[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from coup (Old French colp, cop) with the verb ending -er, properly “to divide with a blow”.[3][2][4][5] The noun “coup” is from popular Latin Vulgar Latin colpus (Salic Law), from Latin colaphus (“blow with the fist”), from Ancient Greek κόλαφος (kólaphos, “slap”).[4][1] Wiktionary allows that the verb may continue a Vulgar Latin *colpāre, comparing Old Spanish “golpar”, and rejects a derivation from caput.[1]

Bloch and Wartburg explain its success by the need for a verb “to cut”, Latin secō having become specialised in sense.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Lois de Guillaume (first half of the 12th century) have Si ço avent que alquen colpe le poin à altre u le pied “if it happens that someone cuts off another's hand or foot”.[3][6]

Semantic evolution

The Charroi de Nîmes (mid-12th century) has coper borses “to cut purses”, and the early 13th century coper vergiers “to cut down orchards”.[3] Joinville writes of coper le pont “to cut the bridge”, whence couper la voie “to bar the road” in Froissart.[3] Couper court is in Chastellain (before 1475), and se couper “to contradict oneself” in Baïf (1567) and Montaigne.[3][6] Olivier Basselin (15th century) uses it for diluting wine.[3][6]

Other senses came later: to cut the cards (1606), to tailor a garment (1679), to castrate an animal (1678), couper l'herbe sous les pieds à qqn (Cotgrave, 1611) and the familiar ne pas y couper “not to escape it” (1861).[3][7] The verb has formed many compounds, such as coupe-gorge (13th century), coupe-jarret (1584) and coupe-papier (1869).[4]

Timeline

  • Early 12th century – Colpe le poin in the Lois de Guillaume.[3]
  • Mid-12th century – Coper borses in the Charroi de Nîmes.[3]
  • c. 1300 – Coper le pont in Joinville.[3]
  • 15th century – “To dilute (wine)” in Basselin.[3]
  • 1567 – Se couper “to contradict oneself”.[3]
  • 1606 – Cutting the cards.[3]
  • 1861 – Couper à “to dodge”.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To cut, cut up, slice: couper du pain, couper les cheveux.[8][9]
  2. To cut off, interrupt, stop: couper l'eau, couper la parole à qqn, couper court à: to cut short.[1][10]
  3. To bar, block: couper la route.[3][1]
  4. To cross, intersect; to take a short cut: couper à travers champs.[1][11]
  5. To dilute (a drink): couper du vin.[3][1]
  6. (cards) To cut (the pack).[7][3]
  7. (familiar) Couper à: to get out of, ne pas y couper: to be unable to avoid it.[11][7]
  8. (reflexive) To cut oneself, (dated) to contradict oneself.[3][6]

Word family

  • à-coup
  • contrecoup
  • coupe-bourse
  • coupe-choux
  • coupe-circuit
  • coupe-coupe
  • coupe-feu
  • coupe-file
  • coupe-gorge
  • coupe-jarret
  • coupe-papier
  • coupe
  • coupure
  • découper
  • recouper

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b 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 m n o p q r 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 d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 869a
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Couper.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/couper. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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