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lune

Etymology and origin of the French word lune

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Inherited from
Latin luna
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*lewk-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin luna
French lune
French lunette
Latin lunaticus
English lunatic

Pronunciation

Forms

lune f (plural lunes)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin lūna (“moon; lunar month”).[2][3][4][5][6] The Latin word is from Proto-Italic *louksnā, a feminine noun from an old adjective meaning “the bright one”, built on the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“to shine, give light”), also behind luire, lumière and lucide.[3][7][1] It replaced an older masculine name of the moon, the one kept in mois and menstrues, which was the object of a taboo since the moon was thought to have dangerous powers.[3] Littré's derivation from Lucina, a name of Juno or Diana, is outdated.[8][3]

Cognate with Romanian lună, Italian luna, Occitan luna, Catalan lluna, Spanish luna and Portuguese lua.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has it for the Earth's satellite: Claire est la nuit e la lune luisant “the night is clear and the moon shining”.[2][8]

Semantic evolution

Thevet (1556) has lune for a lunar month, a sense later lost to lunaison except in traditional reckonings.[2][3] The word keeps the idea of a period in pleine lune (plaine lune, late 12th century) and nouvelle lune (1530), and Fontenelle (1686) applies it to the satellite of another planet.[3][9][2] Lune de miel (Voltaire, 1748, lune du miel) is a calque of English honeymoon, recorded from 1546.[2][3]

Old beliefs about the moon's effect on behaviour lie behind many phrases: tenir un quartier de lune “to be a little mad” (about 1495), lune “whim, fancy” (Richelet, 1680), être dans sa bonne, sa mauvaise lune (1808) and être dans la lune “to be absent-minded”; the sense “menstrual period” (1585) is of the same origin.[2][3][7] By likeness of shape, pleine lune was used of a big round face (1640) and slang lune of the backside (1872); lune d'eau is the white water-lily (1529).[2] Vieilles lunes “things long past” is recorded in 1873.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – The Moon, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • Late 12th century – Plaine lune, Jean Bodel.[9]
  • c. 1495 – Tenir un quartier de lune.[2]
  • 1529 – Lune d'eau “water-lily”.[2]
  • 1530 – Nouvelle lune, Palsgrave.[9]
  • 1556 – “Lunar month”, Thevet.[2]
  • 1640 – Pleine lune “round face”.[2]
  • 1680 – “Whim”, Richelet.[2]
  • 1686 – Satellite of another planet, Fontenelle.[2]
  • 1748 – Lune du miel, Voltaire.[2]
  • 1873 – Vieilles lunes.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The moon; its appearance from the Earth: pleine lune, nouvelle lune, croissant de lune, clair de lune.[7][1]
  2. A natural satellite of a planet: les lunes de Jupiter.[1][2]
  3. (literary) A lunar month.[1][2]
  4. Lune de miel: honeymoon.[2][1]
  5. Être dans la lune: to be absent-minded, tomber de la lune, to be astonished, demander la lune, to ask for the impossible.[7][1]
  6. (dated) A whim, mood: être dans sa bonne lune.[2]
  7. Vieilles lunes: outdated ideas, things of the past.[3][1]
  8. (slang) The backside.[2]

Word family

  • lunaison
  • lunette
  • luné
  • alunir
  • demi-lune
  • lunaire
  • lunatique
  • lundi
  • lunule
  • Latin luna

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 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. ^ 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, 446a
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Derived terms

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Lune.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/lune. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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