Etymologically
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drap

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Pronunciation

Forms

drap m (plural draps)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French drap, inherited from Late Latin drappus (“piece of cloth, rag”), a word recorded from the 5th century and probably of Gaulish origin, since Gaulish had the personal names Drappus, Drappo and Draponus.[2][3][4][5][6] Wiktionary notes that the Late Latin word is first found in the capitularies of Charlemagne.[1] Littré's Germanic explanation is no longer held.[7]

Cognate with Italian drappo and Spanish trapo (“rag”).[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Alexis (late 11th century) has dras for cloth, here the cloths that covered the saint as he lay under the stairs.[8]

Semantic evolution

From the middle of the 12th century to 1541 the plural draps also meant clothes, as in Wace's Vie de saint Nicolas.[8][3] The sense “bed sheet” is found about 1165 in Marie de France's Lanval, always in the plural in Old French; the singular is recorded in 1389–1392, together with drap de lit.[8] In this sense it displaced linceul, which came to mean a shroud.[2][3][4]

It also names a woollen fabric whose fibres are felted by fulling, with drap d'or and drap de soie for fabrics woven with gold or silk.[9][10] The ironic phrase être dans de beaux draps “to be in a fine mess” is from the 19th century; it may continue estre couché en blancs draps “to be in a bad way” (late 16th century) and Molière's se mettre dans de beaux draps blancs (1659).[2][3] In Belgium drap also means a towel.[11][3]

Timeline

  • Late 11th century – Dras “cloth” in the Vie de saint Alexis.[8]
  • c. 1165 – “Bed sheets”, in Marie de France.[8]
  • Mid-12th century – Draz “clothes”, in Wace.[8]
  • 1389–1392 – The singular “sheet” and drap de lit.[8]
  • Late 16th century – Estre couché en blancs draps.[2]
  • 1659 – Se mettre dans de beaux draps blancs, in Molière.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A bed sheet: drap de dessous, drap de dessus, une paire de draps.[9][12]
  2. Woollen cloth felted by fulling: un drap fin, drap d'or, cloth of gold.[9][11]
  3. Drap de bain: a large bath towel, (Belgium) a towel.[3][11]
  4. Être dans de beaux draps: to be in a fine mess.[3][10]

Word family

  • drapeau
  • draper
  • drapier
  • draperie
  • porte-drapeau
  • Late Latin drappus
  • English drape

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ 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, 154b
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Steinfeld, Nadine; Buchi, Éva, eds. (2005–), TLF-Étym: révision des notices étymologiques du Trésor de la langue française informatisé, Nancy: ATILF
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)