Etymologically
Log in

fleur

Etymology and origin of the French word fleur

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Inherited from
Latin flos via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (flōs)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin flos
French fleur

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /flœʁ/[1]

Forms

fleur f (plural fleurs)[1] Old French flur, flor, flour;[2] fleur from the 13th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French flor, inherited from Latin flōs (“flower; the finest part”) (accusative flōrem).[5][2][6][1][7] The Latin word goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to bloom”),[1] also seen in Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌼𐌰 (blōma), German Blume and English bloom.[2][8] Why it became feminine in Gallo-Romance is not clear.[6]

In the phrase “à fleur de”, level with the surface of, the TLFi sees the idea of the topmost or best part, or farming uses such as “fleur de lait”, cream;[5] Wiktionary connects these senses with a Germanic word for “floor”,[1] which Littré rejected, citing Italian a fior d'acqua.[9][6]

Cognate with Italian fiore, Romanian floare, Occitan flor and Spanish flor.[9][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) uses it both for flowers painted on a shield and, figuratively, for the flower of France, its best men.[5][9]

Semantic evolution

Like Latin flōs, it meant the best part of something: la fleur de la chevalerie, fine fleur, fleur de farine “fine flour” (1121–1134).[5][2] It also meant youthful freshness (à la fleur de l'âge) and, figuratively, a girl's virginity.[2][1] À fleur de “on the surface of” is from the 14th century: à fleur de l'iaue.[5][6]

The fleur de lis (12th century) became the emblem of the French kings.[2][4] Familiar phrases include être fleur bleue “to be sentimental”, faire une fleur “to do a favour” and comme une fleur “easily”.[2][8] Plural fleurs “menses” is a different word in origin, Late Latin fluor (“flow”), which merged with it.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Flor, flur in the Roland.[5][2]
  • 1121–1134 – “Fine flour” (Philippe de Thaon).[5]
  • 12th century – Fleur de lis.[2][4]
  • 14th century – À fleur de “level with”.[5][6]
  • 1580 – Fleuret “foil”, after Italian.[6]
  • 1680 – Fleuriste.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A flower or blossom; a flowering plant: en fleur.[8][1]
  2. The best part of something: la fine fleur.[8][1]
  3. Faire une fleur à quelqu'un (familiar): to do someone a favour.[8][1]
  4. À fleur de: level with the surface of: à fleur d'eau, à fleur de peau.[8][1]
  5. Fleur de sel: fine sea salt from the surface of salt pans.[1]
  6. The grain side of a hide.[11]

Word family

  • affleurement
  • affleurer
  • chou-fleur
  • défleurir
  • fleurdelisé
  • fleurdeliser
  • fleurette
  • fleuri
  • fleurir
  • fleuriste
  • fleuron
  • effleurer
  • efflorescence
  • efflorescent
  • fleuret
  • fleureté
  • floraison
  • floral
  • flore
  • inflorescence
  • passiflore
  • Latin flōs
  • English flower
  • English flour

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 630a
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Fleur.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/fleur. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·