sacristie

Forms

sacristie f (plural sacristies)^[1] First written sacrestie (1339); the spelling sacristie is found from the 15th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin sacristia, recorded about 1209 in the same sense,^[5][4] first meaning in Latin the office of a sacristain with its revenues (1128).^[4] The Latin word is derived from sacrista (“sacristan”), from Latin sacer (“sacred”).^[6][3][7] Medieval Latin also called the sacristy sacristania (1038) and secretarium.^[4]

Cognate with Walloon sacristeie, Catalan sagristia, Spanish sacristía and Italian sagrestia.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as sacrestie in 1339, in a document of the Archives nationales cited by Godefroy, for the place where the sacred vessels and the church ornaments are kept.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Besides the room itself, the word came to name what the sacristy contains (1694),^[4][8] and in the 17th century the income drawn from what was given for masses to be said (Furetière 1690, the Académie 1694).^[5][4][3] In the 19th century it took on a pejorative value, standing for the clergy and the clerical party as a symbol of religion (Hugo, 1862).^[5][4] From this came the familiar phrase punaise de sacristie, a bigoted churchgoer (1890),^[4][9] and être de la sacristie “to belong to a small closed group” (1874).^[5][3]

Timeline

• c. 1209 – Medieval Latin sacristia is recorded for the sacristy.^[5][4]
• 1339 – Sacrestie appears in a French document.^[5][3]
• 15th century – The spelling sacristie is found.^[2][3]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “income from masses”.^[3][4]
• 1694 – The Académie records the same sense.^[5]
• 1862 – Hugo uses it for a religious clique.^[5][4]
• 1874 – Être de la sacristie is recorded.^[5][3]
• 1890 – The phrase punaise de sacristie appears.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sacristy, vestry: a room beside a church where the sacred vessels, the vestments and the parish registers are kept and where the clergy dress for services.^[5][9][7]
2. (pejorative) The Church or the clergy as a symbol of religion and clericalism.^[9][4]
3. Punaise de sacristie (familiar): a bigoted woman who haunts churches.^[9][10]
4. (dated) The income from offerings given for masses and prayers.^[8][5]

Related words

• sacristain
• sacré
• Medieval Latin sacristia

References

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