prune

Forms

prune f (plural prunes)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French prune, inherited from Vulgar Latin *prūna, the neuter plural of Latin prūnum (“plum”) taken as a feminine singular.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Rey says that Latin took the word from a Mediterranean language, like other names of fruit trees, Greek having Ancient Greek προῦμνον (proûmnon);^[3] Wiktionary derives the Latin from the Greek word.^[1]

Cognate with Italian prugna, Occitan pruna, Catalan pruna, Romanian prună and Picard pron.^[6][7] In the north and east of France an older word survives in dialects: Old French beloce (“wild plum”), from Late Latin bulluca, which the TLFi calls Celtic and Bloch and Wartburg pre-Celtic.^[2][4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 12th century in the Audigier, naming the fruit of the plum tree.^[2] Rey thinks the word is older than that, since its diminutive prunelle is already recorded at the end of the 11th century.^[3]

Semantic evolution

From the end of the 12th century the plum stood for something worthless, as the medlar did: ne preisier une prune “to think nothing of”, ne valoir une prune (early 13th century), and pour des prunes “for nothing” (1507–1508), which is still current.^[2][3] Viennent les prunes “next summer” (1730–1765) and aux prunes “last summer” (1848) are now archaic.^[2][3]

In popular use prune meant a blow (about 1330) and since 1650 a bullet;^[3][2] later came “a punch” (1899) and, in the 1950s, a traffic fine.^[3] It has named a dark purple colour since 1733 (couleur prune), and, by ellipsis, plum brandy, une prune being a glass of it (1877, Zola).^[2][3]

Timeline

• Late 12th century – First record, in the Audigier.^[2]
• Late 12th century – Ne preisier une prune “to think nothing of”.^[2][3]
• c. 1330 – Used for a blow in Renart le Contrefait.^[2][3]
• 1507 – The derivative pruneau is recorded.^[4]
• 1507–1508 – Pour des prunes “for nothing” appears.^[2][3]
• 1650 – It names a bullet.^[3][8]
• 1733 – Couleur prune appears in an inventory.^[2]
• 1877 – Zola uses une prune for a glass of plum brandy.^[2]
• 1950s – It comes to mean a traffic fine.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A plum, the fruit of the prunier: une tarte aux prunes.^[9][2]
2. Plum brandy, eau-de-vie de prune.^[9][2]
3. Pour des prunes: for nothing, in vain: j'ai fait le trajet pour des prunes.^[9][2]
4. (slang) A fine, a parking or traffic ticket.^[1][3]
5. (dated, popular) A blow; a bullet.^[3][2]

Adjective

1. Plum-coloured, dark purple (invariable): des rideaux prune.^[9][2]

Word family

• pruneau
• prunelle
• prunier

Related words

• Latin prūnum

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 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 m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c 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, 493a
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert