Etymologically
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trait

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tʁɛ/[1]

Forms

trait m (plural traits)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French trait, inherited from Latin tractus (“a drawing, pulling; a trail, line; slow movement; extent of time”),[2][3][4][5][6][1] the action noun of trahō (“to draw, pull”) (see traire).[2][5] The Petit Robert adds that some senses come from the past participle of that verb, and Littré explains the word as that participle in the sense “drawn”.[7][8]

Compare Old Occitan trait, Italian tratto and Spanish trecho (“distance; stretch of time”).[8][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rey dates the word to the late 11th century, first for drinking in one go and the amount drunk at once; the Chanson de Guillaume (late 11th century) is the first record the GLLF gives.[2][4] À grant trait is in Eneas (about 1130), and Aliscans (about 1185) has À moult grans trait le fort vin englotir, “to gulp down the strong wine in great draughts”.[4][8]

Semantic evolution

The idea of time gave a trait “slowly” (about 1175), d'un même trait (1530) and d'un trait “at one go” (1681), and in music a passage of rapid notes (1835); in the old liturgy the trait was a shortened psalm sung at Mass (1374).[2][4] The idea of pulling survives in de trait, as in cheval de trait “draught horse” (1549), and in the traces of a harness (13th century).[2] In Eneas (about 1160) trait d'une arbaleste is the range of a crossbow shot, gens de trait were archers (1417–22) and, from the late 15th century the word meant an arrow or dart.[9][7]

As in Latin it meant a drawn line (13th century, Villard de Honnecourt), a use that developed from the 16th century, and the lines of the face (1538), whence traits “features”.[2][9][4] The figurative sense “act, deed” is in Eneas (les traiz d'amer), whence jouer un trait “to play a trick” (1587), trait d'esprit (Corneille, 1635) and trait de caractère (Marivaux, 1737).[9] Avoir trait à “to relate to” is recorded in 1579.[9][4]

Timeline

  • Late 11th century – First record, Chanson de Guillaume.[4]
  • c. 1130 – À grant trait, Eneas.[4]
  • c. 1160 – “Range of a shot” and “deed”, Eneas.[9]
  • 13th century – A drawn line, Villard de Honnecourt.[4][8]
  • 1538 – Le traict du visage, Robert Estienne.[9]
  • 1549 – Cheval de trait.[2]
  • 1579 – Avoir trait à.[9]
  • 1635 – Trait d'esprit, Corneille.[9]
  • 1681 – D'un trait, Madame de Sévigné.[4]
  • 1737 – Trait de caractère, Marivaux.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A line, a stroke drawn with a pen or pencil, trait d'union, a hyphen, à grands traits, in broad outline.[7][1][9][4]
  2. Traits: the lines of the face, features.[7][9]
  3. A characteristic, a trait: trait de caractère; a notable act: trait d'esprit.[7][1][9]
  4. Avoir trait à: to relate to, concern.[9][4][1]
  5. (literary) An arrow, a dart; figuratively, a cutting remark.[7]
  6. A draught, a gulp: boire à longs traits, d'un trait.[7][2]
  7. De trait: for pulling: cheval de trait, draught horse, (dated) a trace of a harness.[2][1]
  8. (music) A run of rapid notes, (liturgy) the tract sung at Mass.[2][1]
  9. (chess, draughts) The first move: avoir le trait.[1]

Word family

  • trait d'union

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/2, 148a
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ 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