paire

Forms

paire f (plural paires)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French paire, inherited from Vulgar Latin paria, the neuter plural of pār (“a pair, an equal”) taken as a feminine singular; the Latin noun is the neuter of the adjective of the same form, meaning “equal”.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} It belongs with pair “equal, even”.^[2][3]

In the dialects of France it now competes with the derivative pairée and with couple.^[4] The English word pair was taken in the 13th century from the Old French word and also directly from Medieval Latin paria.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Eneas (about 1160) the word means two things of the same kind that go together.^[2]

Semantic evolution

By the end of the 14th century it also named a single object with two matching parts, as in Froissart's cinc cens paires d'esperons “five hundred pairs of spurs”, and two animals of one kind used or sold together (about 1393, deux cens paires de pigons “two hundred pairs of pigeons”).^[2][3] In Middle French it came to be used of two people joined by affection or a shared condition (1456–1467), giving les deux font la paire (1690), and of a breeding couple of animals (1690).^[2][3]

From the 17th century it was used of paired parts of the body, such as a pair of hands.^[2][3] Slang turned this to flight: se payer une paire de pattes (1866) gave way to se faire la paire “to clear off” (1883).^[3][5] Une autre paire de manches, “quite another matter”, is recorded by Cotgrave in 1611.^[2][3]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – First recorded in the Eneas.^[2]
• c. 1393 – The Ménagier de Paris uses it of animals sold together.^[2]
• late 14th century – Froissart uses it for a pair of spurs.^[2]
• 1456–1467 – The Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles use it of two people.^[2][3]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records c'est bien un autre paire de manches.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records les deux font la paire.^[2][3]
• 1883 – Se faire la paire “to run away” appears.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Two matching things meant to be used together: une paire de bottes.^[7][2][1]
2. A single object made of two symmetrical parts: une paire de lunettes, une paire de ciseaux.^[7][2]
3. Two animals of one kind working or caught together, or a breeding couple: une paire de bœufs.^[7][2]
4. Two people linked by friendship or likeness: les deux font la paire.^[2][3]
5. (card games) Two cards of the same value: une paire de rois.^[7][5]
6. Une autre paire de manches: quite another matter.^[7][2]
7. (slang) Se faire la paire: to run off, to escape.^[3][5]

Related words

• pair
• apparier
• parier
• Latin pār

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 q r 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert