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dîneur

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Etymology and origin of the French word dîneur

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1609 Régnier, Satire XI More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origins
Latin disieiunoFrench -eur
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Old French disner
French dîner
French dîneur
English dine
English dinner
From the same root
English diner ← disner

Pronunciation

Forms

dîneur m (plural dîneurs, feminine dîneuse)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French dîner + -eur.[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1609, in Mathurin Régnier's eleventh Satire.[2][3] Oudin's dictionary (1642) has c'est un beau dîneur, “he is a big eater”.[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

The older sense, a person who eats heartily, kept in the phrase un beau dîneur, was recorded by the Académie from 1798 to 1878 and is now dated.[2][5] Littré also gives the sense of a person who makes dinner his main meal.[5] The modern sense is a person who takes part in a dinner, especially one who likes to dine out, at a restaurant or a cabaret.[2][4]

Timeline

  • 1609 – Régnier uses the word in his Satires.[2]
  • 1642 – Oudin records un beau dîneur “a big eater”.[6][5]
  • 1798 – The Académie lists c'est un beau dîneur.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who takes part in a dinner, a diner: les dîneurs quittèrent la salle vers minuit.[4][8][2]
  2. (dated) A hearty eater: un beau dîneur.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Dîneur.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%AEneur. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·