laitue

Forms

laitue f (plural laitues)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French laitue, inherited from Latin lactūca (“lettuce”),^[2][3][1] a derivative of lac (“milk”), for the plant's milky sap.^[2][4][5]

The Latin word passed into the Romance languages: Romanian lăptucă, Italian lattuga, Spanish lechuga and Catalan lletuga.^[3][6] It also spread through the monastery gardens into the Germanic languages, as German Lattich.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Judeo-French form laitugue is found in Rashi's glosses at the end of the 11th century;^[2] the French word appears in Philippe de Thaon's Bestiaire (1121–1134) for the lettuce.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its sense; its link with lait is no longer felt.^[3] It names the plant, grown in many varieties for its leaves, with a qualifier (laitue romaine, laitue batavia) or alone for the cabbage lettuce; northern France tends to say salade instead.^[3]

By comparison it names an edible seaweed, laitue de mer (1812), and other plants such as laitue d'eau.^[3] The English word lettuce (late 13th century) and Dutch latuw were taken from French.^[3][7]

Timeline

• late 11th century – Rashi's glosses have the Judeo-French form laitugue.^[2]
• 1121–1134 – Philippe de Thaon's Bestiaire has laitue.^[2]
• late 13th century – English letuse is recorded.^[7]
• 1812 – Laitue de mer is recorded for a seaweed.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. lettuce, a plant of the genus Lactuca, grown in many varieties for its leaves, eaten raw in salad or cooked.^[8][2]
2. A salad of lettuce.^[8]
3. In plant names, other plants likened to it: laitue de brebis (lamb's lettuce), laitue de chien (dandelion), laitue de mer (sea lettuce).^[8][9][3]

Related words

• lait
• Latin lactūca
• English lettuce

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette