Etymologically
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dent

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɑ̃/[1]

Forms

dent f (plural dents)[1] Masculine until the 14th century (as denz menus), feminine since; still masculine in Lorraine (rire des gros dents).[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin dēns (“tooth”) (accusative “dentem”),[4][5][2][6] from the Indo-European word for “tooth” behind Sanskrit दन्त् (dánt), Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús), German Zahn, English tooth and Welsh dant; the Greek form suggests a link with Latin edere (“to eat”), of which it may be a participle.[5][7][3] Wiktionary gives Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts.[1]

The Latin word was masculine, perhaps feminine already in Gregory of Tours, and it is masculine elsewhere in Romance (Italian dente, Spanish diente, Portuguese dente, Romanian dinte); the feminine prevailed in Gallo-Romance except in the east (Champagne, Lorraine, Picard, Walloon), and the change is not well explained.[2][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has as dentz menus, to the small teeth (masculine), and la dent seint Perre, the relic of Saint Peter's tooth (feminine).[4][3]

Semantic evolution

Like most names of organs it has a rich phraseology: dire entre ses dents (about 1150), dents de lait (1330–1332), rire du bout des dents (1330–1332), montrer les dents “to show hostility” (1340), menteur comme un arracheur de dents (1507–1508), armé jusqu'aux dents (1538–1570) and serrer les dents (1548).[4][5] Chrétien de Troyes (1177–1179) has the teeth of a comb, and the early 14th century the teeth of a wheel.[4][8] From 1862 (Renan) it is also a jagged mountain peak (la Dent du Midi).[4][9]

Derivatives include dental (1503), dentelle (1549, from dentele “little tooth”), dentier and dentiste (1728) and édenter (13th century).[2] The compound dent-de-lion gave Anglo-Norman and English dandelion.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Dentz in the Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • c. 1150 – Dire entre ses dents.[4]
  • 1177–1179 – The teeth of a comb, in Chrétien de Troyes.[4]
  • 1330–1332 – Dents de lait.[4]
  • 14th century – The feminine prevails.[2]
  • 1340 – Montrer les dents.[4]
  • 1538–1570 – Armé jusqu'aux dents.[4]
  • 1549 – Dentelle.[2]
  • 1728 – Dentiste.[2]
  • 1862 – A mountain peak.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A tooth: dents de lait, dent de sagesse, avoir mal aux dents, faire ses dents: to be teething.[7][1]
  2. A tooth (of a comb, saw, fork); a cog (of a wheel).[8][1]
  3. A jagged mountain peak: la Dent Blanche.[8][4]
  4. Phrases: avoir une dent contre qqn: to bear a grudge, avoir les dents longues: to be ambitious, à belles dents: with gusto, en dents de scie: jagged, up and down, quand les poules auront des dents: when pigs fly.[1][11]

Word family

  • cure-dent
  • dent-de-lion
  • dentaire
  • dental
  • denté
  • dentelé
  • dentelle
  • dentelure
  • dentifrice
  • dentiste
  • dentition
  • denture
  • dentier
  • adenter
  • édenter
  • dentaire
  • dental
  • denté
  • dentelle
  • dentier
  • dentiste
  • dentition
  • denture
  • édenté

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  3. ^ a b c 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 j k l m n 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 40b
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)