crête

Forms

crête f (plural crêtes)^[1] Old French creste.^[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French creste, inherited from Latin crista (“crest of a bird, plume”).^[4][5][6] The Latin word already named a helmet's plume, a toothed leaf edge and a mountain top; its origin is uncertain, but Rey thinks it is probably related to crīnis (“hair”).^[5][4] In many dialects of central France the word became ⟨krep⟩ under the influence of ⟨crêpe⟩, from the jagged edge of a cock's comb.^[6]

Cognate with Italian cresta, Spanish cresta and Old Occitan cresta.^[6][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1160 in the Roman d'Eneas, for a ridge or projecting top of a building (here a tomb); the cock's comb follows about 1180 in Alexandre de Paris.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

As in Latin, the word spread by likeness to whatever stands up along a top: in the 13th century the ridge of a mountain, a sense it shares with the masculine crêt, and the crest of a helmet.^[5][4] The crest of a wave follows in 1784, in Bernardin de Saint-Pierre.^[4][3] From it come technical uses for a peak value in electricity and meteorology.^[5]

The cock's comb gave the figurative phrases lever la crête “to grow bold or proud” and baisser la crête “to lose heart”.^[7][3] The compound crête-de-coq (creste au coq 1539) names several plants with toothed leaves, and in medicine since 1834 a venereal growth.^[4][5]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – The Roman d'Eneas uses it for a projecting top of a tomb.^[4]
• c. 1180 – Alexandre de Paris uses it for a cock's comb.^[4]
• 13th century – It names the ridge of a mountain and the crest of a helmet.^[4][5]
• 1539 – Robert Estienne records creste au coq for a plant.^[4]
• 1784 – Bernardin de Saint-Pierre speaks of the crest of a wave.^[4]
• 1834 – Crête-de-coq is first used in medicine.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. The fleshy, red, toothed comb on the head of a cock and some other birds; also a crest on certain reptiles and amphibians.^[8][4]
2. An ornament along the top of a helmet; also a punk's upright mohawk.^[8]
3. The ridge or top line of a mountain: ligne de crête.^[8][1]
4. The top of a wall or other structure.^[8][4]
5. The crest of a wave.^[4][3]
6. (technical) A peak value, in electricity and meteorology.^[5]
7. (figurative) Lever la crête: to show boldness or pride.^[7][3]

Word family

• écrêter
• crêté
• crêter
• crête-de-coq
• crêtelle

Related words

• crêt
• crin
• Latin crista

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert