pâtisser

Forms

pâtisser^[1] Old French pasticier; written pastisser in the 16th century and pâtisser from 1660.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French pasticier, formed from Old French *pastitz (“pâté”) + -er, a noun known only through its derivatives and lost before the 13th century.^[3][4][5] That noun goes back to Vulgar Latin *pastīcium (“pâté”), derived from Late Latin pasta (“paste, dough”).^[3][1] The Latin word is from Ancient Greek παστά (pastá, “barley porridge”), from παστός (pastós, “salted”).^[1] The Grand Robert instead posits a popular Latin verb *pasticiō.^[6]

The same Vulgar Latin noun gave Old Occitan pastitz and Italian pasticcio, the source of French pastis and pastiche.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record, as pasticier in the Livre des métiers of Bruges (second half of the 14th century), is intransitive and means to make pastry.^[3] The Grand Robert has an earlier pasticier from 1278.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The verb meant both to knead dough and to make pies or cakes;^[5][7] Old and Middle French also used it figuratively for “to arrange, concoct”, usually with a pejorative tinge, still found in Montaigne.^[5][7] It ousted pastiller, the verb formed from pastille for making a pie or a cake.^[5]

Its derivative pâtisserie (1328) first covered anything made of dough, savoury or sweet, before the sweet sense won out.^[5] The transitive use “to make (a cake)” is dated to Furetière (1690), and “to work dough” to the Larousse of 1875.^[2] Today the verb is rare.^[8][9]

Timeline

• 1278 – Pasticier is recorded, according to the Grand Robert.^[6]
• 1328 – The derivative pastiserie appears.^[5]
• 1350–1400 – Pasticier “make pastry” in the Livre des métiers of Bruges.^[3]
• 16th century – Spelled pastisser;^[2][7] Montaigne uses it figuratively.^[2][7]
• 1660 – Oudin spells it pâtisser.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “to make a cake”.^[2]
• 1875 – The Larousse records the transitive sense “to work dough”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive, rare) To work dough; to make pastry or cakes: elle aime pâtisser le dimanche.^[3][8][9]
2. (transitive) To work or knead dough.^[3][10]
3. (transitive) To make (a cake or pastry).^[3][2]

Word family

• pâtisserie
• pâtissier

Related words

• pâte
• pastis
• pastiche
• Latin pasta

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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 751a
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)