Etymologically
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diable

Etymology and origin of the French word diable

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
881, diaule (Sequence of Saint Eulalia)
Borrowed from
Latin diabolus
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (βάλλω)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /djabl/[1]
  • IPA: /djɑbl/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana, also): /dʒɔb/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana, also): /dʒawb/[1]

Forms

diable m (plural diables)[1] Diaule (881), diable (late 10th century), Old French also deable.[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is a very early, semi-learned borrowing from Christian Latin borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin diabolus (“devil”),[2][3][4][1][5] from Church Greek Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos), in classical Greek “slanderer”,[2][3][6] from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to throw across; to slander”), from διά (diá, “across”) and βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”).[3][7]

The Latin word was borrowed throughout Romance: Italian diavolo, Spanish diablo.[4] Old French also used popular names, “aversier” “adversary” and “maufé” “ill-made”, partly to avoid the word.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Sequence of Saint Eulalia (881) has diaule for the Devil, and the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) diable.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Figurative uses appear early: the Chanson de Roland calls enemies “vifs diables” (about 1100), and by 1611 a pauvre diable is a poor wretch.[2][3] As an interjection it is found from the 12th century (Porquoi deable?), and as an adjective “devilish, mischievous” from 1220–1225 (le plus diable des chats, La Fontaine).[2]

Phrases include avoir le diable au corps (13th century), tirer le diable par la queue “to be hard up” (1694) and en diable “extremely” (Molière, 1665).[2][3] Objects named after it include a two-wheeled hand truck and a lever (1764), and the toy diable (1835) from which diabolo was formed (1907).[2][4]

Timeline

  • 881 – Diaule (Eulalia).[2][6]
  • late 10th century – Diable.[2]
  • c. 1100 – Figurative vifs diables (Roland).[2]
  • mid-12th century – Interjection.[2][3]
  • 1524 – The euphemism diantre.[4]
  • 1611 – Pauvre diable.[2]
  • 1694 – Tirer le diable par la queue.[2]
  • 1764 – A hand truck.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A devil;[8] le diable, the Devil.[8][1]
  2. (familiar) A fellow: un pauvre diable; a rogue.[2][1]
  3. A hand truck, a two-wheeled trolley.[1][2]
  4. En diable: extremely.[2]

Interjection

  1. (dated) The deuce![1] (intensifier) que diable!.[1]

Word family

  • diablement
  • diablerie
  • endiablé
  • endiabler
  • diantre
  • diablesse
  • diablotin
  • diabolo

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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 d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 63b
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Diable.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/diable. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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