roucouler

Forms

roucouler^[1] Middle French rencouller (15th century) and rouconner (1495); roucouler from 1549.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is an imitative word, built on the onomatopoeic stem ⟨ruk-⟩, which several languages use for the call of pigeons, with the ending ⟨-ouler⟩.^[2][5][4][1] The stem had several variants: the earliest form was rencouller, then, with a change of prefix, rouconner.^[3][6][4]

The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert also mention a derivation from Latin raucus (“hoarse”), and the DHLF names it as a suggestion.^[7][8][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as rencouller in the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles (1456–1467), of the soft, caressing murmur of doves.^[2][3] The form roucouler appears in Robert Estienne's dictionary of 1549.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The verb has always been used of pigeons and turtle doves making their call;^[3][9] Paré wrote in the 16th century that they roucoulent comme colombes (“coo like doves”).^[3][9] From about 1770 it was also used transitively of a person singing or saying something in a languishing voice.^[3][6][2]

The figurative sense “to whisper sweet nothings, to court” is dated 1812 by the DHLF and the Petit Robert, and 1832 by the TLFi; the Académie recorded it in 1835.^[3][8][2][6] The present participle roucoulant was already used figuratively in 1821, comparing a man to a wood pigeon.^[2][3] The noun roucoulement dates from 1611, roucoulade from 1857 and roucoulis from 1890.^[3][4]

Timeline

• 1456–1467 – Rencouller appears in the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles.^[2]
• 1495 – The variant rouconner is recorded.^[3][4]
• 1549 – Robert Estienne records roucouler.^[2][4]
• 1611 – The noun roucoulement appears.^[3][4]
• 1774 – Colardeau uses it transitively.^[2]
• 1812 – First record of the sense “to talk tenderly”.^[3][8]
• 1835 – The Académie records the figurative sense.^[6][10]
• 1857 – The noun roucoulade appears, in Sainte-Beuve.^[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. Of a pigeon or turtle dove: to coo, to make its soft call: Deux tourterelles roucoulaient sur le toit de la grange.^[8][2]
2. (figurative, humorous) To say tender, languishing things, to bill and coo: Les deux fiancés roucoulaient sur un banc du parc.^[8][2]
3. (transitive) To sing or say something in a tender, languishing way: Il lui roucoulait une chanson d'amour.^[8][9]

Word family

• roucoulement
• roucoulade
• roucoulis

Related words

• Latin raucus

References

1. ^ a b c 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 e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 10, 555a
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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF