génisse

Forms

génisse f (plural génisses, masculine bouvillon)^[1] Old French genice; the spelling génisse is from 1538.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French genice, inherited from Vulgar Latin *jenicia, an alteration of *junicia, from Latin iūnix (“young cow, heifer”).^{[2][3][5][6][7]} The vowel /u/ was weakened in the unstressed syllable.^[2][3][5] The Latin word is a contraction of juvenix, from juvenis (“young”), the source of jeune.^[6][8][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as genice in Wace (1160–1174), meaning a heifer.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word names a young cow that has not yet calved, and by metonymy its meat.^[3] In the classical language vache was felt to be too low a word, so génisse took over all its uses in poetry and in prose of the high style; this literary sense “cow” is recorded from 1668, in La Fontaine.^[3][6]

The regional derivative génisson, a young bull or ox in Normandy and a heifer of one or two years in French-speaking Switzerland, Savoy and Isère, is recorded as genichon in 1553 and as genisson in 1561.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1160–1174 – Genice in Wace.^[2][3]
• 13th century – Genice in the Roman de Renart.^[6][8]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne has the spelling génisse.^[6][3][4]
• 1553 – The derivative genichon “young bull” in Gouberville's journal.^[2]
• 1668 – La Fontaine uses it for a cow in general.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A heifer, a young cow that has not yet calved.^[9][10][2]
2. Its meat: un rôti de génisse.^[3][9]
3. (literary) A cow in general.^[6]

Word family

• génisson

Related words

• jeune
• Latin iūnix

Usage notes

The Petit Robert gives the regional synonym taure.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b 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 d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 73b
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)