poubelle

Forms

poubelle f (plural poubelles)^[1]

Etymology

It is from French the surname of Eugène-René Poubelle (1831–1907), prefect of the Seine, who by two decrees of 24 November 1883 and 7 March 1884 made the owners of Paris buildings provide refuse boxes.^[2][3][4] The TLF-Étym explains the noun as an ellipsis of a phrase pairing boîte “box” with his name, found from January 1884; the phrase was probably coined in the popular French of Paris, perhaps among rag-pickers, between 1884 and 1886, and the short form displaced it almost at once.^[2]

The date 1884 given by the FEW and by Bloch and Wartburg for the noun itself is wrong, according to the TLF-Étym: the decree of 1884 speaks only of common receptacles and does not contain the word.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1886 Du Mesnil called the refuse box of a building la Poubelle, pour l'appeler par son nom “the Poubelle, to call it by its name”, and praised it as an excellent innovation; the phrase boîtes Poubelle had appeared in Le Figaro on 16 January 1884.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The word was at first popular and Parisian: it is first written with a small letter in 1894, the year Virmaitre's slang dictionary recorded it.^[2] Larousse mentions the box under the prefect's name in its 1890 supplement, which the Robert dictionaries give as the first date.^[2][6][7] In the 1920s it lost its popular character, narrowing to the refuse bin inside a home (1926) and taking a figurative sense, a collection of rejected, despised things (1929, André Breton).^[2]

Jeter à la poubelle “reject with contempt” is found in a popular song before 1907, in which the senators are sent à la poubelle.^[2] The word is used in apposition in sac-poubelle (1964) and in navire poubelle for an old and dangerous cargo ship, and in 1970s slang it could mean an old car.^[3]

Timeline

• 1883–1884 – Prefect Poubelle's decrees impose refuse boxes in Paris buildings.^[2][3]
• January 1884 – Le Figaro writes of boîtes Poubelle.^[2]
• 1886 – Poubelle is used alone for the refuse box.^[2]
• 1890 – Larousse's supplement mentions the box named after the prefect.^[2][8]
• 1894 – The word is written with a small letter and recorded in Virmaitre's slang dictionary.^[2]
• Before 1907 – Jeter à la poubelle is used figuratively.^[2]
• 1926 – The Larousse ménager uses it for the bin inside a home.^[2]
• 1929 – André Breton uses it for a collection of despised things.^[2]
• 1964 – Sac-poubelle appears.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A dustbin or garbage can for the household refuse of a building or house.^[7][9][2]
2. A smaller bin for waste inside a home;^[7][3] poubelle de table, a bin for scraps at table.^[7][3]
3. Jeter à la poubelle, mettre à la poubelle: to throw away; figuratively, to reject with contempt.^[7][2]
4. (familiar) Faire les poubelles: to rummage through bins for food or usable things.^[7][9]
5. (figurative) A dump, a collection of rejected or despised things.^[2][3]
6. (computing) The trash folder of a computer.^[7]
7. (slang) An old car, a wreck.^[3]

Word family

• poub
• sac-poubelle

References

1. ^ a b 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 s Steinfeld, Nadine; Buchi, Éva, eds. (2005–), TLF-Étym: révision des notices étymologiques du Trésor de la langue française informatisé, Nancy: ATILF
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 273a
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)