taon

Forms

taon m (plural taons)^[1] Old French toon, taün and tahon.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French toon, inherited from Late Latin tabō (“horsefly”), (accusative ⟨tabonem⟩), a form that replaced the suffix of classical Latin tabānus (“gadfly, horsefly”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Rey notes that the word's two endings, ⟨-anus⟩ and ⟨-o, -onis⟩, are both found in Etruscan proper names.^[4]

The type ⟨tabo⟩ also survives in Romanian tăun and Portuguese tavão, and the type ⟨tabanus⟩ in Old Occitan tavan and Spanish tábano;^[2][5] Italian tafano comes from a dialect form *tafānus.^[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as toons in Chrétien de Troyes's Chevalier au Lion (1176–81): Et taons poindre, “and gadflies sting”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed the horsefly.^[2][4] The Trévoux dictionary of 1701 records la première mouche qui le piquera sera un taon, “the least misfortune will ruin him”.^[2][8] In the 19th century the word was used figuratively for something that irritates and for a person who harasses another.^[2] Littré notes that around Paris it was the name of the cockchafer grub.^[8]

Timeline

• 1176–81 – Toons appears in Chrétien de Troyes's Chevalier au Lion.^[2]
• c. 1180 – Marie de France writes taün.^[2]
• c. 1220 – The form tahons is recorded.^[2]
• 1701 – Trévoux records the saying about the fly that will be a taon.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A horsefly or gadfly, a large stinging fly of the family Tabanidae, whose female sucks the blood of animals and people.^[9][2]
2. (figurative, dated) A pest; a person who torments another by repeated harassment.^[2]
3. (regional, near Paris) The grub of the cockchafer.^[8]

Related words

• Latin tabānus

Usage notes

The Petit Robert and the Grand Robert give /tɑ̃/;^[9][6] in 1873 Littré gave /tɔ̃/ after the Académie, but noted that many people said /tɑ̃/.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/1, 3b
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert