décidu

Forms

décidu (feminine décidue, masculine plural décidus, feminine plural décidues)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dēciduus (“falling, liable to fall”),^[2][1][3] from dēcidō (“to fall down”), the source of déchoir.^[2][3] The TLFi dates it from Cotgrave in 1611, while the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it from 1970 and take it from the Latin feminine decidua.^[2][4][5] The rare synonym décident (1812, Boiste) is borrowed from decidens, the present participle of the same verb.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as decidu in Cotgrave's French–English dictionary of 1611, as a term of botany.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In botany it is said of an organ of a plant that comes away and falls once fully grown, such as leaves, a sense recorded by the Académie in 1842 and by Littré.^[2][3] By extension it is used of a forest whose trees shed their leaves; the TLFi cites forêt décidue from 1955.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1611 – Cotgrave records decidu.^[2]
• 1812 – Boiste records the synonym decident.^[2]
• 1842 – The supplement to the Académie dictionary records it.^[2]
• 1955 – Forêt décidue is used of a forest of deciduous trees.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (botany) Of a plant organ: coming away and falling after its full growth or with the seasons, deciduous: les feuilles décidues du hêtre.^[2][5][6][1]
2. Of a forest: made up of trees that shed their leaves.^[2][5]

Related words

• caduc
• déchoir
• déciduale
• Latin dēciduus
• English deciduous

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)