gant

Forms

gant m (plural gants)^[1] Old French guant (1080), refashioned as gant about 1155, in Wace.^[2][3][4] Anglo-Norman spellings include gaunt, want and waunt.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French guant, borrowed from Frankish *want (“mitten”),^{[6][2][4][1][7]} which is reconstructed from Middle Dutch want, Old High German wantus and Medieval Latin wantus.^[6][2] Wiktionary takes the Frankish word back to Proto-Germanic *wantuz (“glove”),^[1] and Littré compares Old Norse vöttr.^[8]

The TLFi thinks the word came into northern Gallo-Romance because the Romans did not know this kind of glove;^[6][9] Bloch and Wartburg think it probably spread as a legal term, since the Franks gave a glove as a token when handing over land.^[6][9] Italian guanto and Spanish guante were taken from French, according to Bloch and Wartburg.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as guant in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100), both for the glove itself and as a token: Roland is asked to hand over le guant et le baston as signs of a mission, and presenter sun guant is to offer one's glove as a pledge of combat.^[6][8][2]

Semantic evolution

Because of the Frankish custom, gant was from about 1150 a term of feudal investiture, the source of the symbolic value of the glove in many phrases.^[6][2] Jeter le gant “to challenge” (1432, Charles d'Orléans) recalls the knight who threw down his glove to an opponent, who picked it up to accept, whence relever le gant “to take up the challenge” (1803).^[6][2]

Comme un gant “closely fitting” is recorded in 1558, and aller comme un gant “to suit perfectly” in the 19th century.^[6][2][10] Prendre des gants “to act with tact” dates from 1808.^[2][3] The obsolete avoir les gants de (1488) came from Spanish para guantes “for the gloves”, the tip given to a bearer of good news; today one says se donner les gants de “to take the credit for” (1872).^[2]

The word also named a mitten (about 1360). From 1872 it named any similar protective covering of the hand, as in gant de boxe and gant de crin.^[2][6] Gant de toilette, a towelling mitt for washing, is a usage of France: Swiss French says lavette and Quebec French débarbouillette.^[2] Plants with finger-shaped flowers were named after the glove, as gant de Notre-Dame (1538).^[6][2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Guant appears in the Chanson de Roland, also as a token of combat.^[6][2]
• c. 1150 – It is used as a term of investiture in the Roman de Thèbes.^[6][2]
• c. 1155 – The spelling gant appears in Wace.^[3][2]
• 1197 – A feminine form of gantier “glover” is recorded.^[2]
• 1260 – gantelet “armoured glove” is recorded.^[2][9]
• c. 1360 – It names a mitten.^[2][3]
• 1432 – Charles d'Orléans uses gietter son gant “to challenge”.^[6][2]
• 1488 – The verb ganter is recorded.^[2][9]
• 1538 – R. Estienne records the plant name gant de Notre-Dame.^[6]
• 1558 – Comme un gant “closely fitting” is recorded.^[6]
• 1803 – Chateaubriand uses relever le gant.^[6]
• 1808 – Prendre des gants is recorded.^[2]
• 1872 – Larousse records gloves for protecting the hand at work and in sport.^[6][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A glove, covering the hand and each finger separately: une paire de gants de laine.^[11][12][6]
2. A glove or mitt worn for protection or in sport: gants de caoutchouc, gant de boxe, gant de crin (a horsehair friction mitt).^[11][12]
3. Gant de toilette: a towelling washcloth shaped like a mitt.^[2]
4. Gant de Notre-Dame: a popular name of the foxglove, of a bellflower and of the columbine.^[12][6]
5. Aller comme un gant: to fit or suit perfectly.^[12][2]
6. Jeter le gant: to throw down the gauntlet, to challenge, and relever le gant: to take up the challenge.^[2][6]
7. Prendre des gants: to handle someone tactfully.^[2][3]
8. Se donner les gants de: to take the credit for something.^[2]
9. Retourner quelqu'un comme un gant: to make someone change their mind completely.^[3][10]

Word family

• gantelet
• ganter
• gantier
• ganterie
• ganteline
• déganter
• gantelée

Related words

• English gauntlet

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 27 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t 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
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 506a
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
10. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
12. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)