couvercle

Forms

couvercle m (plural couvercles)^[1] Old French covercle.^[1][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French covercle, inherited from Latin cooperculum (“lid”), formed from cooperiō (“to cover on all sides”), itself from co- and operiō (“to cover”).^{[3][4][5][6][7]} It belongs to the family of couvrir and is a doublet of the learned opercule.^[4]

Cognate with Italian coperchio and Old Occitan cobercle.^[6][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1160 in the Roman d'Énéas, meaning a lid.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its first sense, a removable piece closing a container, and gained specialised uses in anatomy and mechanics.^[4] In popular speech it was a metaphor for the hat (1764) and the skull; these uses have aged.^[3][4] Littré records the coarse saying trouver couvercle à sa marmite, said of a woman who finds a husband or lover.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – Covercle appears in the Roman d'Énéas.^[3]
• 13th century – The Roman de Renart tells of Renart dropping a covercle on Tibert's tail.^[9]
• 1723 – Savary des Bruslons uses it for the lid of a stove.^[10]
• 1764 – Vadé uses it in slang for a hat.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A lid or cover: a movable piece that closes the opening of a pot, box or other container.^[11][3][1]
2. A round kitchen lid with a knob or handle, for covering food while it cooks.^[11]
3. (slang, dated) A hat; the skull.^[3][4]

Related words

• couvrir
• opercule
• Latin cooperculum

Usage notes

The proverb il n'est pas si méchant pot qui ne trouve son couvercle means that every woman, however unlucky, finds a husband.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ a b c d e f g 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 e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1139a
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert