tremble

Forms

tremble m (plural trembles)^[1] Anglo-Norman trembel and tremmle^[2] Old French also had tranle.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin tremulus (“aspen”), a 4th-century noun use of the adjective meaning “trembling, agitated”, from Latin tremō (“to tremble”).^{[4][5][6][7][8]} The tree was named for its leaves, which move at the slightest wind.^[4][5] The GLLF notes that the Latin noun was first feminine, then masculine.^[9]

Littré related it to trembler, which comes from the same adjective,^[3][5] and compared Walloon trônn, Occitan tremol and Italian tremula.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears about 1140 in Geffrei Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis,^[4] which the Grand Robert dates to about 1138 and the Anglo-Norman Dictionary to 1136–1137, for the aspen.^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its sense in central French as the name of the tree whose leaves tremble at the least breath.^[5] Already in the 13th century the Roman de Renart compared a fearful heart to a leaf of the aspen: Aussi comme foille de tremble.^[3]

In Quebec tremble names a different tree, the American aspen (peuplier faux-tremble).^[5] The derivative tremblaie “aspen grove” (1294, trembloie) is regional.^[5][4]

Timeline

• c. 1140 – Geffrei Gaimar uses it for the aspen.^[4][6]
• 13th century – The Roman de Renart compares a trembling heart to an aspen leaf.^[3]
• 1237 – A place name Tremblei “aspen grove” is recorded.^[4]
• 1294 – The derivative trembloie appears.^[5][7]
• 1694 – The Académie records tremblaye.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. The aspen, a poplar with smooth bark and a straight trunk, whose leaves on thin stalks quiver in the slightest breeze.^[10][4][1]
2. (Quebec) The American aspen, the peuplier faux-tremble.^[5]

Word family

• tremblaie

Related words

• trembler
• Latin tremulus

Usage notes

A separate word tremble, a deverbal noun from trembler first recorded in 1560 in Gesner, is a regional name of the torpille, the electric ray, also called tremblant and tremblard.^[6][9][5]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/2, 245a
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert