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décorateur

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Etymology and origin of the French word décorateur

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1572 Amyot More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
Latin decus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin decus
French décor
English decor
Latin decorō
French décorer
French décorateur
From the same root
Latin dēdecus ← decus
Latin decorātiō ← decorō
Latin dēdecorō ← decorō

Forms

décorateur m (plural décorateurs, feminine décoratrice)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French décorer + -ateur.[2][3][1] Littré took it instead from Latin decorātor, a Latin noun of the same verb.[4] The verb décorer is from Latin decorō, from decus (“ornament, beauty, honour”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1572, in Amyot, meaning “one who honours or celebrates”, after the original sense of décorer; this use remained isolated.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word was taken up again in the 17th century as the name of a trade in the theatre: before 1634 it meant the person who makes the scenery for a performance.[2][6][3] It then spread to anyone who does decoration work, above all on the interiors of houses and apartments (1812, Boiste).[2][6][7]

It is also used in apposition, as in peintre décorateur and tapissier décorateur.[7][4]

Timeline

  • 1572 – Amyot uses it for one who honours or celebrates.[2][6]
  • before 1634 – Gaultier-Garguille uses it for the maker of theatre scenery.[2][3]
  • 1812 – Boiste records it for a person who decorates interiors.[2][7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who designs or makes the scenery of a show, for the theatre or the cinema.[7][8]
  2. A person whose trade is decoration, especially an interior decorator.[7][2][8]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Décorateur.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9corateur. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·