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dupe

Etymology and origin of the French word dupe

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1426, Rouen
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French dupe
English dupe

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dyp/[1]
  • IPA (Quebec): [dzʏp][1]

Forms

dupe f (plural dupes)[1] Duppe (1426); always feminine, even of a man.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a humorous use of “dupe” “hoopoe” (Rabelais; from the 15th century “hoopoe plumage”), for the stupid look of the bird (compare “pigeon”).[2][4][5][6] That word is huppe, from Latin upupa (“hoopoe”), with an expressive “d-”.[2][4][7] Guiraud saw instead the noun of a “*dé-hupper” “to take away the crest”, a sign of prestige, so that a “dupe” is someone “plucked”.[4][6] Littré rejected a Swabian “düppel” “fool” and accepted Chevallet's hoopoe explanation, while doubting that “duppe” is simply an alteration of “huppe”, Berry has “dube” for the hoopoe.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

A 1426 pardon letter from Rouen says a cheat had found son homme ou sa duppe, qui est leur maniere de parler et qu'ilz nomment jargon, any simpleton they mean to fleece at gambling.[5][8][2]

Semantic evolution

First in the jargon of cheats and soldiers, the word passed into literary or formal use, except in common phrases such as marché de dupes and être dupe, Pascal (1656) used it as an adjective.[4][2] La journée des Dupes (10 November 1630) is the day Louis XIII renewed his trust in Richelieu, whom his enemies thought disgraced.[9] The verb duper (before 1489, Villon's dupé) is rare before 1632, and duperie (1690) and dupeur (1669) are literary.[4][5]

Timeline

  • 1426 – Duppe in thieves' jargon.[2]
  • Before 1489 – Dupé.[4]
  • 1630 – La journée des Dupes.[9]
  • 1656 – Être dupe in Pascal.[2]
  • 1669 – Dupeur.[4]
  • 1690 – Duperie.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A dupe, gull: être la dupe d'un escroc, prendre qqn pour dupe, marché de dupes: a fool's bargain.[9][3]

Adjective

  1. Duped, taken in: être dupe de, je ne suis pas dupe: I'm not fooled.[3][9]

Word family

  • duper
  • dupeur
  • duper
  • duperie
  • huppe
  • Latin upupa

References

  1. ^ a b c 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 Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Dupe.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/dupe. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·