Etymologically
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plant

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /plɑ̃/[1]

Forms

plant m (plural plants)[1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from planter,[2][3][4][1][5] which is inherited from Latin plantō (“to plant”).[4][6] It is a doublet of plan “plan, map”, which Bloch and Wartburg explain as the same word, confused in writing with “plan” “flat surface”.[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Eustache Deschamps (late 14th century; the TLFi dates it 1407) uses it for a young plant to be set out, or just planted;[2] the GLLF reads it there as “the act of planting”.[7][3]

Semantic evolution

In 1495 it meant a plantation of young trees or shrubs.[2][4] In the 16th century it also meant “the act of planting” (La Boétie) and “position” (Amyot's statue that stays en son plant).[8][3] The sense “plants of one kind set in a piece of ground, and the ground itself” is recorded by Furetière in 1690.[7][3]

Plant also names a vine stock or grape variety (plant américain).[9][10] The phrase laisser en plan “to leave in the lurch” was first written en plant, after planter là quelqu'un.[4][8]

Timeline

  • Late 14th century – In Eustache Deschamps.[2][7]
  • 1495 – “Plantation of young trees”.[2]
  • 1551 – A young plant to be set out.[7][3]
  • 1690 – A plot planted with one kind, in Furetière.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A young plant or seedling to be planted out, or just planted: plants de tomates.[9][10]
  2. A set of plants of one kind grown together; the plot planted with them: un plant d'asperges.[9][7]
  3. A vine stock; a grape variety: plant américain.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 22b
  6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)