enclos

Forms

enclos m (invariable)^[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle from French enclore (“to enclose”), used as a noun.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The verb goes back to Old French enclore, from Vulgar Latin *inclaudō, a remaking of Latin inclūdō (“to shut in”) after claudō (“to close”).^[2][5][3] The participle corresponds to Latin inclūsus, and inclus is its learned doublet.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1283 in Beaumanoir's Coutumes de Beauvaisis, for a space surrounded by a fence: a man may let his neighbours come to his well in his yard or within his enclos.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Besides the enclosed ground, the word has meant in particular a walled space holding a cemetery, as in the enclos paroissial of Brittany.^[5][8] By extension it named the fence or wall itself: the TLFi and Rey date this to the second half of the 13th century, the Grand Larousse to 1469 and the Petit Robert to 1460, and Quemada notes that the 13th-century record belongs to another sense.^{[2][5][9][10][11]} The sense “small walled estate” is found before 1763.^[9]

The French noun enclosure is a borrowing of English enclosure, which itself came from a French derivative of enclos.^[5]

Timeline

• 1283 – Beaumanoir uses it for an enclosed space.^[2][3]
• 2nd half of the 13th century – The Prise de Defur uses it for a fence.^[2][5]
• 1460 – First record of the sense “enclosing wall” according to the Petit Robert.^[10]
• before 1763 – Panard uses it for a small walled estate.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A piece of ground closed in on all sides by a fence, wall or hedge, an enclosure: l'enclos des chèvres.^[10][2][8]
2. A small walled estate.^[9][10][8]
3. The fence or wall that closes in a place: un enclos de pierres.^[2][10][8]
4. Enclos paroissial: in Brittany, a walled space enclosing a parish cemetery.^[5][8]
5. (technical) A wooden half-circle used by pin-makers.^[7]

Adjective

1. Surrounded by a fence or wall: un pré enclos.^[8][7]
2. (heraldry) Shut in: lion enclos.^[7]

Related words

• enclore
• clos
• clore
• inclus
• enclosure

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 2, 756b
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e f Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF