flingue

Forms

flingue m (plural flingues)^[1] The longer flingot is recorded earlier (1858); a form fling is noted by Esnault in 1881.^[2][3]

Etymology

In the TLFi's view it is probably borrowed from Bavarian flinke (“rifle”) (also ⟨flinge⟩), a dialect variant of German Flinte (“gun”), and flingot as derived from it with the slang suffix -ot.^[2][4][1][5] Rey, the Grand Robert, the Grand Larousse and the Petit Robert instead take the word as a shortening of the longer form, the military slang word borrowed from the dialect German form;^[6][7][3][8] Rey adds that the short form may also have been taken over directly after the occupation of Paris in 1871.^[6]

Bloch and Wartburg note that the word was found in sailors' slang.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rigaud's dictionary of modern slang records flingue in 1881, for a rifle.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Flingot was first military slang for the infantry rifle (1858).^[2][6] Flingue came to name any portable firearm, a revolver or pistol as well as a rifle.^[6][2] From it came the verb flinguer “to shoot” (1947), se flinguer “to kill oneself”, and porte-flingue, a criminal's armed henchman.^[6]

Timeline

• 1855 – The Bob dates flingot “rifle” from this year.^[9]
• 1858 – Flingot “infantry rifle” is recorded in military slang.^[2][6]
• 1881 – Rigaud records flingue.^[2]
• 1889 – Barrère records flingue.^[3][7]
• 1947 – The verb flinguer appears.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (familiar) A rifle; by extension any firearm, especially a pistol or revolver: il a sorti son flingue “he pulled out his gun”.^[8][2][1]

Related words

• flingot
• German Flinte

Usage notes

Flingot now seems dated beside flingue.^[2][7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 15/2, 144b
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Bob, dictionnaire d'argot, de français familier et populaire, languefrancaise.net/Bob