terreux

Forms

terreux (feminine terreuse, masculine plural terreux, feminine plural terreuses)^[1] Old French terrous, terras, terreus and tierreux.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin terrōsus (“full of earth”), from terra (“earth”).^[2][3][1] Bloch and Wartburg call the Latin word late.^[5]

Cognate with Italian terroso, Occitan terros, Spanish terroso and Portuguese terroso.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears about 1160 in the Roman de Thèbes, in faire terrous “to unhorse, throw to the ground”; about 1165 Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses terras for “covered or soiled with earth”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “of the nature of earth” is found in Jean de Meun's part of the Roman de la Rose (1269–1278),^[2][7] and “containing earth” from 1336.^[4] In 1690 Furetière records the figurative sense “having the colour of earth”, the dull greyish tone of a teint terreux.^[2][8]

In 1640 Oudin lists avoir le cul terreux “to be rich in land” as a vulgar phrase; in 1808 Hautel gives cul terreux as a contemptuous name for a farmer's daughter who forgets her origins, the source of the noun cul-terreux “peasant”.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – Faire terrous “to unhorse” in the Roman de Thèbes.^[2]
• c. 1165 – Terras “soiled with earth” in the Roman de Troie.^[2]
• 1269–1278 – Jean de Meun uses terreus “earthy in nature”.^[2]
• 1336 – Tiereus “containing earth”.^[4]
• 1640 – Oudin records avoir le cul terreux.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “earth-coloured”.^[2][8]
• 1718 – The Académie records it of a taste of earth.^[4]
• 1808 – Hautel records cul terreux.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the nature of earth, tasting or smelling of earth: un goût terreux.^[8][9]
2. Mixed with earth or soiled with it: des racines terreuses.^[8][9]
3. Of a dull, greyish or brownish colour, sallow: un teint terreux.^[8][9]

Word family

• cul-terreux

Related words

• terre
• Latin terra

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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)