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lait

Etymology and origin of the French word lait

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
first half of the 12th century, Oxford Psalter
Inherited from
Latin lactem
Ultimate origin
Latin (lac)

Pronunciation

Forms

lait m (countable and uncountable, plural laits)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin lactem, the accusative of a masculine or feminine form of the classical neuter lac, lactis (“milk; milky sap of plants”).[2][3][4][5][6] The Latin word is related to Ancient Greek γάλα, γάλακτος (gála) (see galaxie), but has no counterpart in the other Indo-European languages, which have various words for milk.[3][7] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *ǵlákts.[1] In the north-east and east of the Gallo-Romance area the dialects use a form going back to a diminutive *lacticellus.[4][8]

Cognate with Romanian lapte, Italian latte, Old Occitan lach, Catalan llet, Spanish leche and Portuguese leite.[7][9][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Oxford Psalter (first half of the 12th century) uses it for the liquid secreted by the mammary glands.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Two contexts shaped its phrases.[3] Motherhood gave frère, sœur de lait “foster brother, sister” (Robert Estienne, 1538; compare Old French mère de lait “wet nurse”), dent de lait (1549) and fièvre de lait (1690).[2][3][4] Farming and food gave aigniel de lait (about 1256), vache à lait (1549; figuratively, a person one exploits, 1561), petit lait “whey” (1552), lait de poule (1751) and lait concentré (1873).[2][3] Avaler doux comme lait (1579) and boire du petit lait (1948) mean “to lap up praise”.[2][3]

Du Bellay (1558) has it figuratively for the first food of the mind.[2] By likeness, it names the white sap of plants and almond milk (13th century), the cosmetic laict virginal (Cotgrave, 1611) and plants with milky sap (1599).[2][10] In Belgian French lait battu is buttermilk, and lait ribot is a western regional name for it.[3]

Timeline

  • First half of the 12th century – Milk, Oxford Psalter.[2]
  • 13th century – Lait d'amandes; the sap of plants.[2]
  • c. 1256 – Aigniel de lait.[2]
  • 1538 – Frère, sœur de lait.[2]
  • 1549 – Dent de lait, vache à lait.[3]
  • 1552 – Petit lait.[2]
  • 1558 – Figurative “first food of the mind”, Du Bellay.[2]
  • 1751 – Lait de poule.[2]
  • 1873 – Lait concentré.[2]
  • 1948 – Boire du petit lait.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. milk, the liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals; cow's milk as food: lait entier, écrémé, en poudre, café au lait.[7][1]
  2. Frère, sœur de lait: foster brother, sister, dent de lait, milk tooth, cochon de lait, sucking pig.[2][1]
  3. Vache à lait: a milch cow, (figurative) a person who is exploited.[3][1]
  4. A milky liquid: lait d'amande, lait de coco; a cosmetic lotion: lait démaquillant.[2][1][10]
  5. Boire du petit lait: to lap up praise, soupe au lait, quick-tempered.[3][1]

Word family

  • laitage
  • laitance
  • laiterie
  • laiteux
  • laitier
  • petit-lait
  • laite
  • laiteron
  • lact-
  • lacto-
  • lacté
  • laitue
  • galaxie

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 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 j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ 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. 5, 110a
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  10. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Lait.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/lait. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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