gazelle

Forms

gazelle f (plural gazelles)^[1] Old French gacele (about 1195), gasele (1298, the book of Marco Polo) and gazel (late 13th century, Joinville); gazelle is a late refashioning, recorded in 1690.^[2][3][4][5]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Arabic غَزَال (ġazāl, “gazelle”).^[2][3][1][6] The TLFi cites the classical form with its feminine and a Maghrebi form of the same word.^[2][4] Medieval Latin already had gazela about 1110, in Albert of Aix.^[2][3] The Grand Robert also names Italian gazella in the chain.^[5]

Compare Spanish gacela and Italian gazzella.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ambroise's Estoire de la guerre sainte, about 1195, has gacele for the animal.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named the animal, a slender antelope of Africa and Asia.^[3] Joinville describes the gazel as a wild beast rather like a young roebuck.^[7] Victor Hugo has des yeux de gazelle “large, soft eyes” in 1829.^[4] In pastry, cornes de gazelle are crescent-shaped cakes, and in the French of Africa the word is a familiar term for a young woman.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1110 – Medieval Latin gazela in Albert of Aix.^[2][3]
• c. 1195 – Gacele in Ambroise.^[2][3]
• 1298 – Gasele in the book of Marco Polo.^[4][5]
• Late 13th century – Gazel in Joinville.^[3][7]
• 1690 – Furetière has the form gazelle.^[4][3]
• 1829 – Des yeux de gazelle in Victor Hugo.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A gazelle, a slender antelope of Africa and Asia with long legs and lyre-shaped ringed horns.^[8][9][10]
2. Des yeux de gazelle: large, soft eyes.^[8][9][4]
3. (pastry) Corne de gazelle: a crescent-shaped pastry.^[8]
4. (Africa, familiar) A young woman.^[8]

Related words

• English gazelle

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 19, 53a
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)