quartier-maître

Forms

quartier-maître m (plural quartiers-maîtres)^[1] Earlier cartier maistre (before 1637) and quartier maistre (1643).^[2] Bloch and Wartburg note the spelling quartier-mestre in the cavalry sense.^[3]

Etymology

It is from German Quartiermeister (“billeting officer”), translated into French, according to Bloch and Wartburg, the DHLF, the Grand Robert and the GLLF, following the FEW.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The TLFi gives this view beside a Dutch source, Dutch kwartiermeester, proposed by Behrens, Valkhoff and Boulan, which it finds more probable for a military and naval term; the Petit Robert also suggests the Dutch word.^[2][8][4]

The German word is built from Quartier, itself taken from quartier in its military sense “cantonment”, and Meister (“master”), which goes back to Old French maistre and Latin magister.^[2][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

As cartier maistre it is first found before 1637 in Beaulieu's account of a voyage to the East Indies, for the first rank above an ordinary sailor.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Bloch and Wartburg say it first named the quartermasters of the foreign cavalry regiments and was applied to the navy from 1670;^[3][6] the TLFi has the navy sense first (before 1637, then in Fournier's Hydrographie of 1643) and the cavalry sense in 1674.^[2] From 1804 the Code civil uses it for an officer, of the rank of lieutenant or captain, in charge of a unit's lodging and food;^[2][4] this army sense is now historical, while the naval rank remains.^[2][8]

Timeline

• Before 1637 – Cartier maistre in Beaulieu, in the navy.^[2][4]
• 1643 – Quartier maistre in Fournier's Hydrographie.^[2][9]
• 1670 – Used for the naval rank according to Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF.^[3][6]
• 1674 – Pellisson uses it for the quartermaster of a foreign cavalry regiment.^[2]
• 1804 – The Code civil uses it for an officer in charge of a unit's lodging and supplies.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (navy) A sailor of the first rank above matelot, corresponding to a corporal in the army; a leading seaman.^[2][8][6]
2. (history, military) An officer of the rank of lieutenant or captain responsible for the lodging, food and accounts of a unit; a quartermaster.^[2][10][8]
3. (history) Quartier-maître général: an officer who chose the places of encampment and passed on the orders of march.^[10]

Related words

• quartier
• maître
• German Quartiermeister
• Dutch kwartiermeester

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 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 42a
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette