Etymologically
Log in

maigre

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 15:12. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /mɛɡʁ/[1]

Forms

maigre (plural maigres)[1] Old French meigre (about 1175), maigre from 1225.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French meigre, inherited from Latin macer (“lean, thin; poor (of soil)”), in its accusative form.[2][3][4][5] The DHLF relates it to Ancient Greek μακρός (makrós, “long”).[2] The expected sound development would have given maire, a form found in a few Franco-Provençal dialects of the Alps; the cluster ⟨gr⟩ found everywhere else is due either to a development like that of aigre from Latin ācer, or to a semi-learned form used by physicians and the Church.[2][6][1]

Cognate with Romanian macru, Italian magro, Old Occitan magre, Catalan magre and Spanish magro.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Chrétien de Troyes's Perceval (1174–87) it describes a living being with little fat: Une pucele meigre et pale.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

About 1225 it was applied to food cooked without fat, as opposed to gras; by metonymy it described food containing neither fat nor meat, according to the rules of the Church, hence jour maigre (late 15th century) and faire maigre (1606).[2][3][9] Placed before the noun it expresses scantiness: maigre chère (1611), a poor meal, maigres excuses (Commynes).[2][3]

About 1265 Brunetto Latini used it of poor soil and of a dry style.[3] It also took technical senses: a mortar with little binder (1771), a piece of timber or stone that does not fit closely (1676), a thin typeface (1690).[3][10] As a noun it named the lean part of meat from the 12th century and a thin person from 1559.[3]

Timeline

  • 1174–87 – Meigre in Chrétien's Perceval.[3]
  • c. 1225 – Of food cooked without fat.[3][2]
  • c. 1265 – Brunetto Latini: terre maigre.[3]
  • Late 15th century – Jour maigre.[3]
  • 1606 – Nicot: faire maigre.[9]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave: maigre chère.[3]
  • 1690 – Furetière: maigre sujet and a thin typeface.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Thin, skinny: maigre comme un clou.[11][1]
  2. Of food, containing little or no fat: viande maigre, fromage maigre.[11][10]
  3. Without meat, as the Church prescribes on fast days: faire maigre, jour maigre.[10][11]
  4. Placed before the noun, meagre, scanty: maigres excuses, maigre chère.[11][3]
  5. Of soil, poor, unproductive.[3][10]
  6. (printing) Of a typeface, light, thin.[3][10]

Noun

  1. The lean part of meat.[3][11]
  2. A thin person.[3]

Word family

  • amaigrissement
  • amaigrir
  • maigrelet
  • maigrement
  • maigreur
  • maigrichon
  • maigrir
  • démaigrir

Usage notes

A second maigre, the name of a fish, the meagre (late 14th century), is derived from the adjective;[5][11][1] Cotgrave explained it by the whiteness of its flesh, which makes it look lean.[5][11][1] Littré thought its origin unknown.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s 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
  4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 5a
  5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert