déchaux

Forms

déchaux (invariable)^[1] Old French deschaus, deschauz and descaus; the modern spelling déchaux dates from the 16th century.^[2][1][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French deschauz, inherited from Vulgar Latin *discalceus (“barefoot”), an altered form of Late Latin discalceātus (“unshod”).^[4][5][1][6] That Latin form is the past participle of discalceō, the source of déchausser.^[7] Littré instead analyses the Late Latin form discalcius, found in the Salic Law, as dis- and calceus (“shoe”).^[3]

Cognate with Occitan descauç, Catalan descalç, Spanish descalzo, Portuguese descalço, Italian scalzo, Walloon dischås and Romanian desculț.^[1] Littré also lists Picard décaus and Walloon dihâ.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first found about 1170 in Chrétien de Troyes's Erec, meaning barefoot.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In Old and Middle French deschaus simply meant barefoot: Villehardouin has prisoners led away nus et deschaus, and Joinville leaves his castle à pié deschaus on pilgrimage.^[3] Froissart's six notable burghers come out tous deschaux, halters round their necks.^[3]

The word gave way to the participle déchaussé and survives mostly in the name of a religious order, the carmes déchaux, Carmelite friars reformed by Saint Teresa who go barefoot in sandals.^[4][2][3] Littré notes that it was said only of the Carmelites, the Augustinians being déchaussés.^[3] Writers such as Richepin and Apollinaire revived it as an archaism.^[4][7]

Timeline

• c. 1170 – Chrétien de Troyes uses it in Erec.^[4]
• late 12th century – Descaus is recorded.^[2]
• 13th century – Villehardouin and Joinville use deschaus for barefoot people.^[3]
• 16th century – The spelling déchaux appears.^[2]
• 1825 – Brillat-Savarin writes of the carmes-déchaux reformed by Saint Teresa.^[4]
• 1881 – Richepin uses pieds déchaux as an archaism.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (archaic) barefoot; déchaussé.^[4][1]
2. (religion) Of members of an order who go barefoot in sandals: carme déchaux, a discalced Carmelite.^[4][2]

Related words

• déchausser
• chausser
• chausse
• Latin calceus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
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. ^ 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. 3, 91b
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse