Etymologically
Log in

gigolo

Etymology and origin of the French word gigolo

History Permalink
Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1850, popular song
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French gigolo
English gigolo

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʒi.ɡɔ.lo/[1]

Forms

gigolo m (plural gigolos)[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] It was created about 1850 together with its feminine gigolette.[2][4] The TLFi derives it from “gigolette” with the slang suffix -o;[5][1] Bloch and Wartburg, the GLLF and Larousse take it from gigue (“leg”) (1655, common in the dialects, remade on gigot), the first sense having probably been “young man who frequents the dance halls on the outskirts of Paris”;[6][7][8][9] Rey also mentions “gigue” in the sense “lively, merry woman”.[2] English giglet, “giglot” “wanton girl; merry young woman” (before 1325) may have influenced both words.[5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A popular song of 1850, quoted by Larchey, has the lines Si tu veux être ma gigolette, Oui, je serai ton gigolo: the gigolo is the lover of a gigolette, a girl of easy virtue.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

By 1894 a gigolo was an elegant young man of doubtful means and manners, and also from 1901 (Bruant) a young lover kept by an older woman, now the usual sense[5][2][10]; Pierre Véron already writes in 1888 of a widow's gigolots.[5][2][10] Colette's Vous avez passé l'âge du gigolo (1920) shows it in literature.[7] Slang made gigolpince (1925), an elegant pimp.[2] English borrowed the word in the 20th century.[1]

Timeline

  • 1850 – The lover of a gigolette (popular song).[5][2]
  • 1864 – Gigolette (Delvau).[5][2]
  • 1888 – Gigolots kept by a widow (Véron).[10]
  • 1894 – An elegant young man of doubtful means.[5][2]
  • 1901 – A young man kept by an older woman (Bruant).[5][2]
  • 1925 – Gigolpince.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (familiar) A gigolo, a young man kept by an older woman.[3][8]
  2. An elegant young man whose manners and means of living are suspect.[3][7]
  3. (dated slang) The lover of a gigolette.[3][5]

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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 16, 36a
  10. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Gigolo.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/gigolo. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·