radis

Forms

radis m (invariable)^[1] First written radice (1507); radis is recorded by Cotgrave in 1611.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian radice (“radish; root”), from Latin rādīx (“root”).^[2][1][5][6] The Italian word, properly “root”, is recorded from the 14th century.^[2][3] It corresponds to Old French raïz, which was replaced by racine and survives in raifort.^[3][5] Littré instead took it from Provençal raditz (“root”).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as radice in 1507, in Nicolas de La Chesnaye's Condamnation de Banquet, as the name of the plant.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word names a cruciferous plant grown for its edible root, and that root.^[3][8] Radis noir is recorded from 1775 and was once a figurative name for a priest (1878).^[3] From 1842 pas un radis means “not a penny”: the radish, like other small fruits and vegetables, stood for something of little value, helped by the slang rond “sou”.^[2][3] In slang radis also meant the toes (1907), from their shape.^[2][6]

Timeline

• 1507 – Radice appears in Condamnation de Banquet.^[2]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records the form radis.^[2][7]
• 1775 – Radis noir is recorded.^[3]
• 1842 – Pas un radis! “not a penny!” appears in the play Les Maçons.^[2]
• 1907 – Esnault records the slang sense “toe”.^[2][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A radish, a cruciferous plant grown for its root, and the edible root itself, red or black, eaten raw: une botte de radis roses.^[8][9][1]
2. (familiar, in negative phrases) A very small sum of money: il n'a plus un radis.^[8][6]
3. (slang, plural) Toes.^[6][2]

Related words

• racine
• raifort
• Italian radice
• Latin rādīx

References

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