sacristain

Forms

sacristain m (plural sacristains)^[1] Old French segrestain, secrestain, secretain and sacrestain; the spelling sacristain dates from 1552.^[2][3][4] Regional and old dialect forms include Berry secrétain and segrétain.^[5]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin sacristānus (“keeper of the sacristy”), recorded from the 10th century, and its variants segrestanus and secrestanus.^[2][3][6] The Medieval Latin word is derived from sacrista (about 1050–1070), first “keeper of the church treasure”, itself from Latin sacer (“sacred”).^[2][3] This word displaced sēcrētārius in this sense, and the influence of that word explains some Latin and Old French forms such as secretain.^[2][3] The Old French forms were refashioned after Latin in the 16th century.^[3][7]

Cognate with Italian sagrestano, Spanish sacristán, Occitan sacristan and Catalan sagristà.^[3][5] Old French also borrowed the Medieval Latin word as sacriste (13th century), which lived on in some regional speech.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as segrestain about 1150, in Wace's Vie de saint Nicolas, for the person in charge of a church's sacristy and sacred objects.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The core sense, the person who looks after the sacristy and the things needed for worship, has not changed since the 12th century.^[3][2] After 1550 it was also used for “servant”.^[3] In 1793 Camille Desmoulins used it pejoratively for believers, and later it meant an excessively pious person, much like calotin; this sense has died out.^[2][3] In the 17th century Ménage noted that only villagers still said segretain.^[5]

In the 20th century the word also came to name a small rolled puff-pastry cake, for reasons that are not known.^[3][8] English sacristan (early 14th century) comes from Medieval Latin sacristanus.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 1150 – Segrestain appears in Wace's Vie de saint Nicolas.^[2]
• 13th century – Old French sacriste is recorded.^[2][3]
• c. 1280 – The form secretain is recorded.^[3]
• 1375 – The form sacrestain is recorded.^[2][7]
• 1552 – Robert Estienne has the refashioned spelling sacristain.^[7][3]
• 1636 – The feminine sacristaine is recorded.^[3]
• 1793 – Desmoulins uses it pejoratively for believers.^[2]
• 1938 – It names a puff-pastry cake.^[8][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sexton, sacristan: the person in charge of the sacristy, who prepares what is needed for services and looks after the church.^[2][8]
2. (dated, pejorative) A foolishly pious person.^[8][2]
3. (pastry) A small rolled cake of puff pastry, often with almonds.^[8][3]

Word family

• sacristaine
• sacristine

Related words

• sacristie
• sacré
• secrétaire
• Latin sacer
• English sacristan

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 n 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 q 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 c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 32a
7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com