palud

Forms

palud m (plural paluds)^[1] Also palus (from 1802) and palude (1895, Gide); Old French palu (about 1130, Eneas).^[2][3] Anglo-Norman palud, palut, paluz and palude.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin palūs (“marsh, pool”).^[5][6][7][1] Rey connects the Latin word with an Indo-European root also seen in Latin pluō (“to rain”), with the general idea of stirring water.^[7]

Cognate with Italian palude, Old Occitan palu and Spanish palude.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as palud, meaning a marsh, in Benedeit's Voyage de saint Brendan (early 12th century).^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Common in Old and Middle French, the word gave way to marais and disappeared after the classical period, except in a few literary revivals, such as Villon's infernaux paluds and the young André Gide's Paludes (1895), and in regional use.^[7][3] In the Bordeaux region palus has named, since 1802, a flood plain of marine silt reclaimed for vineyards.^[5][7]

From the 18th century the Latin word itself was used to form learned terms such as paludier (1731, replacing paluyer, 1611).^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1112 – Palud appears in the Voyage de saint Brendan.^[5][2]
• c. 1130 – The form palu appears in the Eneas.^[3]
• 1802 – Vin des palus is recorded for the Bordelais.^[5]
• 1895 – André Gide uses the form palude in the title Paludes.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (archaic, literary) A marsh, a swamp.^[5][10][1]
2. (regional) In south-west France especially, alluvial land in a valley bottom or a drained coastal marsh, cultivated and usually planted with vineyards; usually spelled palus.^[5]

Related words

• marais
• paludier
• Latin palus

Usage notes

The word is mostly used in the plural.^[5] The old name of the Sea of Azov, Palus Méotide, keeps the form palus.^[9][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ 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
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 530b
7. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert