Etymologically
Log in

genou

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʒə.nu/[1]

Forms

genou m (plural genoux)[1] Old French singular genoil (1080), plural genolz (end of the 10th century), genous (1273); genou was drawn from the plural about 1360.[2][3][4] The Académie (1694–1740) also gave genouil, pronounced like genou.[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French genoil, inherited from Late Latin genuculum (“knee”), a crossing of classical geniculum (“little knee”) with genū (“knee”), of which “geniculum” is the diminutive.[5][2][6][3][7][1] The modern singular comes from the plural “genolz”, “genous”, written “genoux”.[5][6] “Genū” corresponds to Ancient Greek γόνυ (gónu) and to forms in Indo-Iranian, and to English knee and German Knie, Rey links the name with the root “*gen-” “to be born”, after the custom of recognising a newborn by placing it on its father's knees, while the Petit Robert gives a root “*genu-” “joint”.[2][8][9]

Cognate with Romanian genunchi, Italian ginocchio, Occitan genolh, Catalan genoll and Portuguese joelho.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion of Clermont (end of the 10th century) has the plural: De davant lui tuit a genolz “all on their knees before him”.[5] The Chanson de Roland has Sur son genoill en fiert son destre gant.[9]

Semantic evolution

À genoux is found literally in 1273 and figuratively, of a submissive attitude, in 1665, ployer les genoux is in Malherbe and se jeter aux genoux de qqn in 1531.[2][4] By analogy it named the joint of a quadruped's foreleg (1690) and, in technical use, a joint in general (1573 in seamanship, 1845 in mechanics).[2] Old French often said à genoillons for “on one's knees”.[9] Être sur les genoux, to be exhausted, is from 1900, and the knee of trousers from 1832.[4][10] A bald head has been un genou since 1842.[10]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – Genolz, Passion.[5]
  • 1080 – Genoil, Chanson de Roland.[3]
  • 1273 – À genous, Adenet.[2]
  • c. 1360 – The singular genou, Froissart.[4]
  • 1665 – À genoux, figuratively.[2]
  • 1690 – Of a horse.[2]
  • 1740 – The Académie notes that genou is the usual spelling.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The knee: se mettre à genoux, être à genoux devant qqn, faire du genou à qqn, to play footsie.[8][1]
  2. The lap: prendre un enfant sur ses genoux.[1]
  3. The joint of a quadruped's foreleg.[2][4]
  4. (technical) A joint, a ball joint.[2][4]
  5. (familiar) Être sur les genoux: to be worn out, chauve comme un genou, bald as a coot.[4][10]

Word family

  • agenouiller
  • genouillère
  • génuflexion
  • géniculé
  • Latin genū

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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 d e f 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 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. 4, 112b
  8. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF