guincher

Forms

guincher^[1]

Etymology

It is perhaps inherited from Old French guenchir (“to swerve, dodge”), in a variant form.^[2][3][4][5] The Old French verb is recorded from about 1138 and is from Frankish *wenkjan (“to totter, sway”), from Proto-Germanic *wankijaną; it is the verb behind gauchir.^[5][3][1][6]

The Petit Robert instead derives it from guinche “public dance hall”, of unknown origin, perhaps from the same root as guinguette; the TLFi, on the contrary, takes the noun to come from the verb.^[7][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in 1821, in a glossary of popular speech, meaning “to dance in a cabaret”.^[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

From dancing in a cabaret it widened to dancing in general by 1866.^[3][5] It has stayed a familiar or popular word, like its derivatives: guinche “a dance” and, by metonymy, “a dance hall”, and guincheur “dancer” (1867).^[3][2]

Timeline

• c. 1138 – Old French guenchir “to swerve” is recorded.^[5]
• 1821 – Guincher “to dance in a cabaret” and guinche “dance” appear.^[2][3][8]
• 1866 – Recorded in the general sense “to dance”.^[3][5]
• 1867 – The noun guincheur “dancer” appears.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (familiar) To dance, especially at a popular dance hall: on est allés guincher toute la nuit.^[2][7][8][1]

Word family

• guinche
• guincheur

Related words

• gauchir
• guinguette

Usage notes

An older, unrelated guincheur (1877), a horse that stamps and tries to bite as it nears the stable, comes directly from guenchir.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 555a
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Bob, dictionnaire d'argot, de français familier et populaire, languefrancaise.net/Bob