sauge

Forms

sauge f (plural sauges)^[1] Old French salje (late 11th century) and saulje (13th century); sauge from the 13th century.^[2][3][4] Anglo-Norman salge.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French salje, inherited from Latin salvia (“sage”),^[2][3][6][7] derived from salvus (“healthy, safe”) (see sauf): the plant was named for its medicinal virtues.^[3][7][4]

Cognate with Italian salvia, Spanish salvia, Portuguese salva, Romanian salbie and Occitan saubja.^[8][9] Picard has sal.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The form salje is found in Rashi's French glosses (late 11th century), for the sage plant.^[2][10]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept the Latin sense, an aromatic plant used as a seasoning and as a tonic.^[3] It was used in figurative phrases for tastelessness: n'y avoir ni sel ni sauge “to be insipid” of a book (1549), ne sentir ni sel ni sauge (1640) and n'avoir ni sel ni sauge (1690), already foreshadowed in the Roman de Renart.^[3][9] Gris de sauge named a shade of grey (1690).^[3] Botanists distinguished the sauge officinale from 1814.^[2]

Timeline

• late 11th century – Salje in Rashi's glosses.^[2]
• 13th century – Saulje and sauge; the Roman de Renart has ne sel ne sauge.^[4][2][9]
• 1352 – The derivative saugé “containing sage”, of wine.^[3]
• 1549 – N'y avoir ni sel ni sauge “to be insipid”.^[3]
• 1690 – Gris de sauge names a colour.^[3]
• 1814 – Sauge officinale in Nysten.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. Sage, an aromatic plant of the mint family (Salvia), used in cooking and medicine and grown for ornament.^[11][2]
2. Sauge officinale: common sage, Salvia officinalis.^[2][1]

Related words

• sauf
• Latin salvia
• English sage

Usage notes

Il n'y a ni sel ni sauge is said of something insipid.^[9][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 132a
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert