dos

Pronunciation

• IPA: /do/^[1]

Forms

dos m (invariable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin dossum, an altered form of Latin dorsum (“back, especially of an animal; ridge”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} “Dorsum”, a popular word used by the slaves in Plautus, replaced the ordinary tergum.^[3][4][5] Rey knows no better etymology than a link with deorsum (“downwards”), the back being the part of the body that bends down.^[3]

Cognate with Romanian dos, Occitan dos, Italian dosso, Catalan dors, Spanish dorso and Portuguese dorso.^[7][1] The type “dos” prevails only in the northern dialects; the south uses “reins” and, as far as Poitou, “échine”.^[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has Tute l'eschine li desevre del dos (“he splits the whole spine from his back”) and de cels d'Espaigne unt lur dos turnez (“of those of Spain who have turned their backs”).^[8][2]

Semantic evolution

Many phrases grew from it: tourner le dos, avoir quelqu'un à dos and avoir bon dos (Richelet, 1680; the latter already in 1587), faire le gros dos (about 1642) and en avoir plein le dos (1809), continuing a 16th-century en avoir dans le dos.^[2][3][9] By analogy it named the back of a spoon (1393), and dos d'âne a ridged shape (about 1360).^[2][3]

From the mackerel's back, dos vert (1773) and then dos alone meant a pimp, from about 1876 to 1920.^[3] In Quebec avoir le dos large is to bear others' responsibilities, in Belgium parler sur le dos de quelqu'un is to talk behind someone's back, and in African French faire le gros dos is to show off.^[3] Dossier “file” (1680) is so called because the bundle carried a label on its back.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – In the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1360 – Dos d'âne.^[3]
• 1393 – Le dos de la cuillier.^[2]
• 1587 – Avoir bon dos.^[9]
• 1680 – Avoir une personne à dos in Richelet.^[2]
• 1809 – En avoir plein le dos.^[3]
• 1876 – Dos “pimp”, in Richepin.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The back: avoir mal au dos, dormir sur le dos.^[7][10]
2. The back of an animal.^[11]
3. The back of a garment, a chair or the hand; the spine of a book.^[11][1]
4. (swimming) backstroke.^[1]
5. Tourner le dos: to turn one's back, avoir bon dos: to be a convenient scapegoat.^[3][10]
6. En avoir plein le dos: to be fed up, faire le gros dos: to hunch one's back, lie low.^[3][9]
7. Dos d'âne: a speed bump, a ridge.^[3]
8. (obsolete slang) A pimp.^[3]

Word family

• adosser
• dossard
• dossier
• endosser
• dosse
• dossière
• ados
• adossement
• endos
• endossement
• extrados
• intrados

Related words

• dorsal
• Latin dorsum

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 144a
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)