Etymologically
Log in

palais

Etymology and origin of the French word palais

History Permalink
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin palatium
French palais

French has two words palais: the palace, from Latin palātium, and the palate, from Latin palātum, whose form was altered under the influence of the first.[1][2][3]

palais1 palace

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis
Inherited from
Latin palatium via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (Palātium)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pa.lɛ/[4]

Forms

palais m (invariable)[4] Old French paleis (1050); palais from about 1160.[5][3][6]

Etymology

The palace is inherited from Old French paleis, inherited from Latin palātium, which properly named the Palatine Hill in Rome.[1][5][2] Augustus built his house on the Palatine, and the name passed to the imperial residence, then to all imperial palaces, even outside Rome, and to the residences of governors.[1][5] It is a doublet of English palace.[4] Cognate with Italian palazzo, Old Occitan palatz, Catalan palau, Spanish palacio and Portuguese paço.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) speaks of mes granz paleis de Rome la citet.[1][8]

Semantic evolution

About 1140 the Voyage de Charlemagne uses it for a king's residence; by extension it meant the people living there (dames du palais, Sévigné, 1674).[1] Because the Paris palace, an old royal residence, housed the law courts, Villon in 1461 uses it for the courts, whence palais de justice and the old gens du palais, lawyers (1549).[1][2][6] Its use for the house of a rich private person, like the Palais Mazarin, does not appear before the 16th–17th century, perhaps under the influence of Italian palazzo.[2][3] From Voltaire's palais des sciences (1759) it named large public buildings: palais des Sports.[1][9] The maires du palais were the chief officers of the Frankish kings.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Paleis in the Vie de saint Alexis.[1]
  • c. 1140 – A king's residence.[1]
  • c. 1160 – The form palais.[6][3]
  • 1461 – The law courts, in Villon.[1]
  • 1558 – A rich private person's house, after Italian palazzo.[3]
  • 1674 – Dames du palais.[1]
  • 1759 – A public building, in Voltaire.[1]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A palace, the large and luxurious residence of a head of State or a great person: le palais de l'Élysée, révolution de palais.[10][11]
  2. A luxurious private house: sa villa est un véritable palais.[11]
  3. A large public building: le palais des Sports, le palais des Expositions.[9][11]
  4. Palais de justice, le Palais: the law courts, jours de palais, days on which the courts sit.[9][11]
  5. (history) The residence of the Frankish kings: les maires du palais.[10][9]

palais2 palate

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
first half of the 12th century, Cambridge Psalter
Inherited from
Latin *palatium
Ultimate origin
Latin (palātum)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pa.lɛ/[4]

Forms

palais m (invariable)[4]

Etymology

The palate continues inherited from Vulgar Latin *palātium, a Gallo-Roman alteration of classical Latin palātum (“palate”) under the influence of the word for the palace.[1][2][4] Meillet thought the Latin word perhaps Etruscan, and the palace's name might share that origin.[3] Littré explains the confusion: the regular form would have been close to the very familiar word for the palace, with which it merged;[8] Diez instead thought the word for the palace had passed to the sense “vault”, then “roof of the mouth”.[8] Italian palato and Spanish paladar continue the classical word.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) has it for the roof of the mouth.[1]

Semantic evolution

By metonymy it has meant the sense of taste since about 1220 (Fains escommueve ton palais Et non pas savors de palais, in a translation of Martin of Braga).[1] By 1738 it could stand for a person with a fine sense of taste: le palais le plus savant.[12]

Timeline

  • First half of the 12th century – The roof of the mouth.[1]
  • c. 1220 – The sense of taste.[1]
  • 1738 – A person with a fine palate.[12]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The palate, the roof of the mouth: voûte du palais, voile du palais.[10][11]
  2. The sense of taste: avoir le palais fin.[11][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 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
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Palais.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/palais. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·