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engin

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Etymology and origin of the French word engin

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1150 Wace, Saint Nicolas More words from the 12th century
Inherited from
Latin ingenium via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin ingenium
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin gignō
Latin ingenium
French engin
From the same root
Latin benignus ← gignō
Latin genetīvus ← gignō
Latin genetrīx ← gignō
Latin genitālis ← gignō
Latin genitor ← gignō
Latin genius ← gignō
Latin ingenuus ← gignō
Latin prōgignō ← gignō
Latin ingeniōsus ← ingenium

Pronunciation

  • /ɑ̃.ʒɛ̃/[1]

Forms

engin m (plural engins)[1] Old French and Anglo-Norman spellings include engien, engeign, enging and angin.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French engin, inherited from Latin ingenium (“innate character, talent, ingenious invention”), which in Late Latin had come to mean “ruse”.[4][5][6][1][7] Etymonline adds that Late Latin writers already used it for a war engine.[8] The Latin noun is formed with in-;[6][9][8] Rey connects its second part with genius, the GLLF with an old verb genō (“to beget”), and Etymonline with gignō (“to beget”).[6][9][8]

Cognate with Italian ingegno, Old Occitan engenh, Catalan geny, Spanish ingenio and Portuguese engenho.[10][3][11]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1150 in Wace's Saint Nicolas, meaning “invention, ruse”.[4] Wace's Brut has the proverb Bone est force, et engins mieux vaut;[3] Là vaut engins où force faut “strength is good, and cunning is better; cunning serves where strength fails”.[3]

Semantic evolution

The abstract sense “ruse” prevailed until the 17th century, in phrases such as parler par engin “to speak to deceive” (about 1225) and the proverb engin vaut mieux que force (Rabelais, 1532), and lived on in the dialects;[6] “intelligence, talent” lasted until the classical period and passed to ingéniosité.[6] From 1155 the word also named any war machine that threw missiles, apart from firearms, and by extension (1176–81) any device made for a purpose, especially for catching animals.[4][6]

After 1250 it named a machine for lifting loads, from 1487 also any instrument, and since the 17th century it is said mainly of machines of war, hunting and fishing.[6][9][11] Its later uses stress size, power or danger: armoured vehicles, missiles, building-site machines, engin spatial “spacecraft”.[6] Familiar uses followed: “penis” (after 1585) and, like truc or machin, any object, or an unbearable person (1970s).[6] English engine was borrowed from the Old French word around 1300.[8][11]

Timeline

  • c. 1150 – Wace uses it for an invention or ruse.[4]
  • 1155 – Wace's Brut uses it for a war machine.[4]
  • 1176–81 – Chrétien de Troyes uses it for a mechanical device.[4]
  • c. 1225 – Parler par engin “to speak deceitfully”.[6]
  • after 1250 – Used for a lifting machine.[6]
  • c. 1300 – English borrows it as engine.[8]
  • 1487 – Used for an instrument in general.[6][9]
  • 1532 – Rabelais has engin vaut mieux que force.[6]
  • after 1585 – Familiar sense “penis”.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A machine or device, especially one that is large, complex or dangerous: engin de chantier (a piece of construction machinery), engin spatial (a spacecraft).[12][13][6]
  2. (military) A piece of war equipment, a missile: engins blindés (armoured vehicles).[14][13][6]
  3. An implement for hunting or fishing: engin de pêche.[14][1]
  4. (familiar) A gadget or thing whose name or purpose is unknown: Qu'est-ce que c'est, cet engin ? (What's that contraption?).[12][14]
  5. (vulgar) The penis.[14][6][1]
  6. (sports) An apparatus in artistic gymnastics.[1]
  7. (archaic) ingenuity, skill, now only in the proverb mieux vaut engin que force.[3][9]

Word family

  • engeigner
  • enginiste

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  3. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 685b
  8. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  11. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  12. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  13. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  14. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Engin.” Etymologically, 11 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/engin. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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