nef

Forms

nef f (plural nefs)^[1] In the 16th century often nauf, after Occitan nau.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French nef, inherited from Latin nāvis (“ship”).^[4][5][1] In Late Latin the word also named the nave of a church, by likeness of shape and under the influence of Ancient Greek ναός (naós, “temple”).^[5][3] The Latin word has cognates in other Indo-European languages, among them Ancient Greek ναῦς (naûs, “ship”).^[5][6]

Cognate with Romanian naie, Italian nave, Spanish nave, Portuguese nave, Occitan nau and Catalan nau.^[6][3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis, meaning a ship.^[4][8]

Semantic evolution

In the sense “ship” the word was gradually replaced by navire and vaisseau, and lives on only in poetry and for the large sailing ship of the Middle Ages.^[5][2] By likeness of shape it named a large drinking vessel (about 1130) and a ship-shaped container for spices and cutlery on a royal table (1372), two senses now only historical.^[4][5]

Since about 1150, after Late Latin usage, it has named the part of a church between the portal and the transept, and since 1889 any building space of that shape.^[5][4] The archaic sense “ship” was used to coin aéronef (1844) and astronef (before 1956).^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – The Vie de saint Alexis uses it for a ship.^[4]
• c. 1130 – Gormont et Isembart uses it for a large drinking vessel.^[4]
• c. 1150 – Wace uses it for the nave of a church.^[4]
• 1372 – It names a ship-shaped spice container on the royal table.^[4]
• 1844 – aéronef is coined.^[5]
• 1889 – It is used of any hall shaped like a nave.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (archaic or poetic) A ship; especially, the large sailing ship of the Middle Ages.^[6][9][10]
2. (architecture) The nave of a church, between the portal and the transept;^[6][9][10] nef latérale, an aisle.^[6][9][10]
3. (architecture) A tall, long hall or gallery.^[10]
4. (goldsmithing) A ship-shaped piece of plate set on the table of kings and lords.^[10][4]

Word family

• aéronef
• astronef
• porte-aéronefs

Related words

• nacelle
• naval
• navire
• navette
• Latin nāvis

Usage notes

Littré records moulin à nef, a water mill built on a boat.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
3. ^ a b c Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)