nonne

Forms

nonne f (plural nonnes)^[1] Old French nominative nune (c. 1155), none (c. 1167), oblique nonain (nunein, 1080); nonne is recorded from 1273.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French none, the nominative of nonain, inherited from Late Latin nonna (“nun”), a word of Church Latin (early 5th century).^[1][5][4][6] In inscriptions the word meant “nurse”, beside the masculine nonnus “monk”, a name the monks gave out of respect to the oldest among them, and in inscriptions “foster father”.^[5][4][7] It is probably a nursery word, recalling Ancient Greek νέννος (nénnos, “uncle”) and νάννη (nánnē, “aunt”).^[4][5] Littré thought its origin not yet established.^[8]

Cognate with Old Occitan nona; Italian nonno and nonna mean “grandfather” and “grandmother”.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oblique form nunein appears in the Chanson de Roland (1080), of a convent of nuns, and the nominative nune in Wace's Roman de Brut about 1155.^[2][8][5]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the oblique form nonnain was the usual word.^[4][7] By 1680, according to Richelet, both nonne and nonnain were used only in burlesque or the lowest style, and nonne is now archaic or ironic beside moniale and the familiar sœur or bonne sœur.^[5][4]

In thieves' slang it meant a pickpocket's accomplice (1828–1829, Vidocq), probably from Italian nonno (“godfather, crony”), since the role was left to older associates who drew less suspicion.^[5][4]

Timeline

• 1080 – The oblique form nunein appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[2][7]
• c. 1155 – Wace has the nominative nune.^[5][2]
• c. 1167 – Gautier d'Arras writes none.^[2]
• 1273 – The spelling nonne appears in Adenet.^[2][3]
• 1680 – Richelet calls the word burlesque.^[5][4]
• 1828–1829 – Vidocq records the slang sense “pickpocket's accomplice”.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (dated or humorous) A nun, a woman who lives in a convent.^[9][10][11]
2. (old slang) A pickpocket's accomplice.^[5]

Word family

• nonnain
• nonnette

Related words

• Late Latin nonna

Usage notes

The pastry pet-de-nonne keeps the word.^[5][8] A masculine nonne, from the feminine, is the common name of a moth of the genus Lymantria that harms conifers (20th century).^[3][11][2]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 187b
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 c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)