Etymologically
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pervenche

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pɛʁ.vɑ̃ʃ/[1]

Forms

pervenche f (plural pervenches)[1] Old French parvenche (1225–1230).[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French parvenche, inherited from Late Latin pervinca,[2][3][4][5][1][6] a form implied by Italian pervinca and Catalan pervinca,[2][3] short for Latin vincapervinca, the plant's Latin name.[2][3][7] The name seems to come from a magic formula;[2][3][1] it has been connected with vincō (“to conquer”) or vinciō (“to bind”).[2][3] Littré thought the plant was named for conquering diseases.[8]

The simple Late Latin vinca gave Old French venche (about 1220), still used in eastern and Picard dialects.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Guillaume de Lorris's part of the Roman de la Rose (1225–1230) has parvenche for the plant.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The plant, with its blue-mauve flowers in shady woodland, was dear to Rousseau, as Nerval recalls.[7][9] From the flower the word named a colour: couleur pervenche (1900), pervenche alone (1909), and the invariable adjective (des yeux pervenche).[2][3][9]

In 1978 the women traffic wardens of the Paris police were nicknamed pervenches when their uniforms changed colour; they had earlier been called aubergines.[3][9][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1220 – Old French venche.[2][3]
  • 1225–1230 – Parvenche (Roman de la Rose).[2]
  • 1800 – Petite pervenche.[7]
  • 1900 – Couleur pervenche.[2][3]
  • 1978 – A Paris traffic warden.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A periwinkle, the plant Vinca.[9][1]
  2. A pale blue-mauve colour.[9][2]
  3. (familiar) A female traffic warden in Paris.[9][1]

Adjective

  1. Periwinkle-blue (invariable): des yeux pervenche.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 461b
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert