reliquaire

Forms

reliquaire m (plural reliquaires)^[1] Old French reliquiaire (13th century).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French relique + -aire.^[4][5][6] relique is from Latin reliquiae (“remains”), which took its special sense in Church Latin.^[5] Cognate with Occitan reliquiari, Spanish relicario and Italian reliquiario.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The form reliquiaire is found in the 13th century, in the romance of Apollonius.^[3][2] Reliquaire itself is first recorded in 1328 in an inventory made after a death: un grant reliquaire à plusieurs reliques, a casket holding relics.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named the precious box or casket that holds relics; a châsse is used rather when the casket holds the whole remains of a saint or martyr.^[2] In the 15th century it was also used for the relics themselves, as in Perceforest.^[7] Du Bellay used it figuratively in the 16th century of a dead language mis en reliquaire de livres, kept only in books.^[7]

Timeline

• 13th century – Reliquiaire appears in Apollonius.^[3]
• 1328 – Reliquaire is recorded in an inventory.^[4]
• 15th century – Perceforest uses it for relics.^[7]
• 16th century – Du Bellay uses it figuratively.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A reliquary, a precious box or casket holding reliques displayed for veneration: un reliquaire d'argent doré.^[8][4][3]

Related words

• relique
• châsse
• Latin reliquiae

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d 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
5. ^ a b 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert