tourtereau

Forms

tourtereau m (plural tourtereaux)^[1] Old French turturel, turtrel.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from French tourterelle (“turtle dove”), given a masculine ending, and was first recorded as turturel.^[2][3][4][5] The feminine goes back to Latin turturella, a diminutive of turtur (“turtle dove”), which also gave Old French tourtre;^[6] Picoche takes the Latin word to imitate the bird's call.^[6]

Wiktionary instead derives the masculine directly from Latin turturellus (or turturillus), diminutives of the same Latin noun.^[1][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Roman de Horn (1170) turturel means the male of the turtle dove, in a line where a woman is told she will be the turtle dove and he her mate, who takes only one partner.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The sense “male turtle dove” is now rare.^[2] From 1694 the Académie records the word for a young turtle dove still in the nest.^[2][4][5]

Because turtle doves were proverbial for faithful love, the plural came to mean a pair of young lovers, first in Restif de la Bretonne (1776);^[2][5] the Académie admitted this use in 1798.^[4][9] It is now the word's usual sense, often said with gentle irony.^[5][7]

Timeline

• 1170 – Turturel “male turtle dove” appears in the Roman de Horn.^[2][5]
• 1694 – The Académie records tourtereau “young turtle dove”.^[2][3][4]
• 1776 – Restif de la Bretonne uses the plural for a couple of young lovers.^[2][5]
• 1798 – The Académie records the plural sense “lovers”.^[4][9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (rare) A young turtle dove still in the nest.^[2][9][1]
2. (rare) A male turtle dove.^[2]
3. (chiefly in the plural, familiar) A young lover: nos deux tourtereaux ne se quittent plus.^[9][2][1]

Related words

• tourterelle
• Latin turtur

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 c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
7. ^ a b Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
8. ^ 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