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cousin

Etymology and origin of the French word cousin

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inherited borrowed derived
Latin consobrinus
French cousin

cousin1 relative

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (cusin)
Inherited from
Latin consobrinus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (sobrīnus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ku.zɛ̃/[1]

Forms

cousin m (plural cousins, feminine cousine)[1] Old French cusin (1080), cosin (about 1150); feminine cosine (about 1170).[2][3]

Etymology

The relative is inherited from Old French cosin, inherited from Latin cōnsobrīnus (“first cousin on the mother's side; first cousin”), through a shortened form *cosīnus, probably from children's speech.[2][3][4][5][6] “Cōnsobrīnus” is from con- and sobrīnus (“cousin”), from soror (“sister”): properly a child of two sisters.[3][5][4]

Compare Occitan cosin and Catalan cosí; Italian cugino is borrowed from French, while Spanish primo uses another word.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) Milon son cusin is Thibaut of Reims's kinsman, cosin germain “first cousin” is in the Roman de Thèbes (about 1150).[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Unlike the Latin word, cousin is not limited to first cousins, who are specified as cousins germains.[3] Like other kinship terms it expressed affinity (1226); mon cousin was the form of address used by the king of France to princes of the blood, cardinals and marshals (1690), whence the ironic le roi n'est pas son cousin “he thinks himself as grand as the king” (17th century).[3][8] In African French cousin is used more widely for a relative, and cousin à plaisanterie for someone linked by a joking relationship.[3] Cousin à la mode de Bretagne is a distant relative.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Cusin, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1150 – Cosin germain, Roman de Thèbes.[2]
  • c. 1170 – Feminine cosine germainne, Chrétien de Troyes.[2]
  • 1226 – Of affinity.[3]
  • 1690 – Mon cousin, the king's form of address.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A cousin (feminine cousine): cousin germain, first cousin, cousin issu de germain, second cousin.[8][1]
  2. Cousin à la mode de Bretagne: a distant relative.[8]
  3. (history) Mon cousin: the king's form of address to great nobles, le roi n'est pas son cousin, he thinks a lot of himself.[8][3]

Word family

  • cousinage
  • cousiner
  • petit-cousin

cousin2 gnat

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1551
Inherited from
Latin *culicinus
Ultimate origin
Latin (culex)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ku.zɛ̃/[1]

Forms

cousin m (plural cousins)[1]

Etymology

The gnat is probably inherited from Vulgar Latin *culicīnus, a diminutive of Latin culex (“gnat, midge”), as the Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and Littré suggest; its origin is disputed.[5][8][7][1][9] Bloch and Wartburg instead explain it as an alteration of “cusin” (16th century), derived from an unattested Old French *couç “gnat”, from “culex”, with the “u” of some forms due to words from Latin pūlex (“flea”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in 1551 for a gnat or mosquito, cusin is found in 1577.[5][4]

Semantic evolution

Cousin was the ordinary word for the mosquito before moustique took over; this use survives in Louisiana.[1][8] Today it names especially the crane fly.[1] Old familiar French also called hangers-on cousins.[1]

Timeline

  • 1551 – First recorded.[5][4]
  • 1577 – Cusin.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A gnat, mosquito (dated, still in Louisiana); a crane fly.[8][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1073a
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1494b

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Cousin.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/cousin. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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