lion

Forms

lion m (plural lions, feminine lionne)^[1] Old French leon and lëun, feminine lëune.^[2][3][4][5] Anglo-Norman spellings include leon, liun and lioun.^[6]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin leō (“lion, the constellation Leo, a plant”);^[2][3][7][4] Wiktionary calls the Old French word a semi-learned borrowing of the Latin accusative.^[1] The Latin word is from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn), the name of the beast and of a crustacean, which has no known etymology: Rey notes that the comparison with Sanskrit words for “to roar” has been given up and that the Semitic names of the lion are too distant.^[3] Littré still reported Pictet's derivation from a Sanskrit root meaning “to tear”.^[5]

The dated sense “fashionable young man or woman” (about 1830) was taken from the English word lion, itself from French; it is explained by the lions shown to visitors in the menagerie of the Tower of London.^[2][7][8]

Cognate with Romanian leu, Italian leone, Occitan leon, Catalan lleó, Spanish león and Portuguese leão.^[9][10][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100), naming the animal, as in la fosse des leons “the lions' den”, and already in comparisons such as fiers cume lëuns “proud as lions”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From the earliest texts the lion was a figure of strength, and comparisons such as fier comme un lion led to the figurative values of courage, nobility and sometimes cruelty, and to the sense “strong, bold person” (1609).^[3][2] The word named images of the animal, especially in heraldry, from about 1135, and a coin bearing a lion in 1346.^[2][3] After Latin it named the zodiac sign (1119) and the constellation (1130).^[2][3]

Among the phrases it gave, le partage du lion (1718), later la part du lion (1832), is the whole share the strongest takes for himself.^[2][3] It also formed names of animals and plants: lion de mer “sea lion” (1611), dent de lion “dandelion” (1596).^[2][3] In the 1830s, after English, lion and lionne named fashionable young people.^[2][7][11] English had borrowed the word from Old French in the late 12th century.^[12]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – The Chanson de Roland uses it for the animal and in comparisons.^[2]
• 1119 – Philippe de Thaon uses it for the zodiac sign.^[2]
• 1121–1134 – The feminine lëune appears in Philippe de Thaon's Bestiaire.^[2]
• c. 1135 – A shield with a lion is mentioned in the Couronnement de Louis.^[2][3]
• late 12th century – English borrows the word.^[12]
• 1346 – It names a coin.^[2][3]
• 1596 – Dent de lion is recorded as a plant name.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records lion de mer.^[2]
• 1718 – Le partage du lion is recorded.^[2]
• 1823 – Gautier uses it for a fashionable young man.^[2][11]
• 1832 – Hugo writes se faire la part du lion.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A lion, the large tawny feline with a mane, living in Africa and Asia; specifically the adult male.^[10][2][1]
2. Se battre comme un lion: to fight bravely, also tourner comme un lion en cage: to fret with impatience, se tailler la part du lion: to take the biggest share, and (familiar) avoir bouffé du lion: to be unusually energetic or aggressive.^[10]
3. (figurative) A brave, strong person.^[10][2][1]
4. (dated) A celebrity; a man of fashion, especially from 1830 to 1860.^[10][8][1]
5. (heraldry) A lion as a charge on a coat of arms.^[1][2]
6. Le Lion: the constellation Leo; in astrology, the fifth sign of the zodiac: Mon frère est Lion. “My brother is a Leo.”^[10][1]
7. Lion de mer: a sea lion.^[10]

Word family

• lionceau
• lionnerie

Related words

• lionne
• léonin
• léopard
• caméléon
• dent-de-lion
• Latin leō
• English lion

Usage notes

The feminine lionne (1539) replaced the medieval lionnesse, which was still used by Pascal.^[7][4] Littré gives the pronunciation in two syllables, li-on.^[5]

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 s t u v w 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 l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com