couvre-lit

Forms

couvre-lit m (plural couvre-lits)^[1][2] Anglo-Norman coverlit, also spelt coverelyth, covrelite and coverlet.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is a compound from French couvrir (“to cover”) + lit (“bed”), with the verb in the form ⟨couvre⟩.^[4][1][5][6] The verb is from Latin cooperiō (“to cover completely”).^[7]

The compound already existed in Anglo-Norman, as coverlit in the 13th century, but it was formed anew in modern French.^[4][3][7] Etymonline suggests that English coverlet (c. 1300) goes back to such an Old French compound.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Anglo-Norman form coverelyth, for a bedcover, appears in a 13th-century poem in a Rawlinson manuscript, and covrelyt in an inventory of 1327.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

After the Anglo-Norman records the word disappears; modern couvre-lit is recorded by Littré in 1863, though Rey dates it to 1853.^{[4][7][9][10]} It joined a long series of nouns formed with couvre, such as couvre-chef, couvre-feu and couvre-pied.^[7][10]

Timeline

• 13th century – Anglo-Norman coverelyth “bedspread”.^[4][3]
• c. 1300 – English coverlet is recorded.^[8]
• 1327 – Covrelyt in an inventory.^[4]
• 1853 – Modern couvre-lit, according to Rey.^[10]
• 1863 – Littré records couvre-lit.^[4][7][1]

Meanings

Noun

1. A bedspread, a light cover of fabric laid over a bed to protect and decorate it: un couvre-lit en coton.^[2][4][5]

Related words

• couvrir
• lit
• couvre-pied
• dessus-de-lit

References

1. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
2. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
7. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert