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médaille

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Etymology and origin of the French word médaille

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1496 Commynes, Mémoires More words from the 15th century
Borrowed from
Italian medaglia
Ultimate origin
Latin mediālis
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Italian medaglia
French médaille
Romanian medalie
Derivations
From the same root
English medal ← medaglia

Pronunciation

Forms

médaille f (plural médailles)[1] Middle French also medalle (1540–1561).[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian medaglia (“a coin worth about half a denier, a medal”), recorded in 1496.[2][3][4][5] The Italian word is of the same origin as the French maille2 “small coin”, of which it is therefore a doublet.[2][3][4][1] The Petit Robert traces it to a popular Latin *medalia, for mediāle, from medius (“middle”).[6] Wiktionary gives the chain mediālis (“of the middle”) → medālia.[1] Littré instead proposed a word metalleus from metallum (“metal”), an explanation the OED also follows, deriving it from Vulgar Latin *metallea (“metal (coin)”).[7][8]

Cognate with Spanish medalla.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Commynes, in 1496, uses it of a gold coin current in Italy and the Levant: he tells of bien trois mil medailles d'or et d'argent kept by Pierre de Médicis.[2][7][3]

Semantic evolution

The modern sense, a piece of metal struck with the image of a famous person or to commemorate an event, appears in 1536 in an inventory of Charles V.[2][3] Like médaillon it took several senses by likeness: a round sculpted ornament in architecture (1540–1550, as medalle), a small blessed medal worn on a chain around the neck (about 1570), and an ancient coin kept for its historical interest (1599).[2][3]

The figurative phrase le revers de la médaille “the other side of the coin, the downside” is recorded by Oudin in 1640, and toute médaille a son revers in 1690.[2][3][9] From 1758 it was a medal awarded as a prize, first found in a letter of Voltaire, and in the 19th century an honorary decoration.[2][3][6] Vidocq records in 1828–1829 the numbered metal badge that certain trades had to wear.[2][3] In 1765 the name was given, for the shape of its seed pods, to the honesty plant (lunaire).[3][6]

English borrowed the French word as medal in the 1580s.[8]

Timeline

  • 1496 – Commynes uses it for a gold coin of Italy and the Levant.[2][4]
  • 1536 – An inventory of Charles V uses it for a commemorative piece.[2][3]
  • 1540–1550 – Medalle names a round sculpted ornament.[2]
  • About 1570 – It names a small devotional medal worn around the neck.[3][6]
  • 1580s – English borrows it as medal.[8]
  • 1640 – Oudin records le revers de la medaille.[2][3]
  • 1758 – Voltaire uses it of a medal given as a prize.[2][6]
  • 1765 – It names the honesty plant.[3][6]
  • 1828–1829 – Vidocq records it as a compulsory badge of certain trades.[2][3]
  • 1852 – It is used of an honorary decoration.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A medal, a piece of metal, usually round, struck or cast in honour of a person or to commemorate an event.[6][10]
  2. A medal awarded as a prize in a competition or exhibition: médaille d'or, d'argent, de bronze.[6][10]
  3. An honorary decoration: la médaille militaire, la médaille de la Résistance.[6][10]
  4. A small metal piece with a religious subject, worn around the neck: médaille de la Vierge.[6][10]
  5. A numbered metal badge that members of certain trades must wear, also an identity tag on a pet's collar.[6][10][2]
  6. (regional) The honesty plant, lunaire.[6]

Word family

  • médaillier
  • médailliste
  • médaillé
  • médailleur
  • médailler

Usage notes

Le revers de la médaille means the unpleasant side of something, and profil de médaille or tête de médaille a face with very regular features.[6][10] Médaille en chocolat is a familiar name for fourth place in a competition.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 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 m n o 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Médaille.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/m%C3%A9daille. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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