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triomphe

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Etymology and origin of the French word triomphe

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1165 Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Roman de Troie More words from the 12th century
Borrowed from
Latin triumphus
Ultimate origin
Latin triumphus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek θρίαμβος (thríambos)
Latin triumphus
French triomphe
The word's journey
From the same root
Latin triumphālis ← triumphus
Latin triumphō ← triumphus

Pronunciation

  • /tʁi.jɔ̃f/[1]

Forms

triomphe m (plural triomphes)[1] Old and Middle French triumphe, still common in the 16th century;[2][3] triomphe is a 15th-century spelling.[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin triumphus (“triumphal entry of a victorious general, victory”).[4][2][5] The Latin word, earlier written and pronounced triumpus, probably came through Etruscan from Ancient Greek θρίαμβος (thríambos), a hymn sung at the festivals of Bacchus, whose origin is unknown.[2][6]

Cognate with Old Occitan triomfe, Spanish triunfo and Italian trionfo.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie (about 1165) has it in the sense “success, superiority”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

In 1174–1176 Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence used it for a brilliant military victory,[4] a sense now gone out of use; today it is a victory in any rivalry (1527) and the decisive success of something that was in conflict with something else (before 1564).[2][7] About 1240 it took up its Latin sense, the honour given to a victorious Roman general,[4][2] whence mener quelqu'un en triomphe (1559) and arc de triomphe (1671).[2][7]

In imitation of the Roman ceremony it named a procession going out to meet a prince entering a town (1435), and more generally a grand display in someone's honour (about 1265), whence en triomphe (1553) and porter quelqu'un en triomphe (about 1790).[2][7] By metonymy it meant the joy of a victory (1456–1467, Cent Nouvelles nouvelles).[4][2] A performance that arouses enthusiasm is a triumph from 1663, and le triomphe de quelqu'un, the thing a person excels in, is recorded by the Académie in 1798.[2][4]

At Saint-Cyr it named a festivity in 1821 and, from 1887, the promotion feast of the cadets finishing their first year.[2][4]

Timeline

  • c. 1165 – Triumphe “success” in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie.[4]
  • 1174–1176 – Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence uses it for a military victory.[4]
  • c. 1240 – It names the Roman triumph.[4]
  • c. 1265 – Brunetto Latini's Trésor: Charlemagne goes to Rome a grant triumphes.[4][6]
  • 1482 – The card game jeu du triomphe is recorded.[4]
  • 1559 – Amyot has mener en triomphe.[7]
  • 1663 – Corneille uses it of a great success on stage.[7]
  • 1671 – Arc de triomphe is recorded by Pomey.[7]
  • 1887 – The Saint-Cyr feast is called le triomphe.[4][2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A brilliant victory in a contest or rivalry: le triomphe de l'équipe locale.[8][4]
  2. The decisive success of a cause or an idea: le triomphe de la raison.[8][2]
  3. (Roman antiquity) The triumph, the solemn entry into Rome granted to a victorious general.[8][6]
  4. Arc de triomphe: a triumphal arch.[6][7]
  5. En triomphe: in triumph, with acclamation, as in porter quelqu'un en triomphe, to carry someone shoulder-high.[7][2]
  6. A great success with the public: la pièce fut un triomphe.[2][4]
  7. The jubilation that a victory brings.[2][4]

Usage notes

La triomphe (feminine) was an old card game, a variant of écarté, recorded in 1482, and, from 1611 (Cotgrave), the trump card in it; the Grand Robert and the TLFi treat it as the same word, the Grand Robert as its triomphe 2 (1460, Villon).[4][3] Littré connects it with triompher, the card that wins being the trump.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  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 g h i j k l m n o p q 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Triomphe.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/triomphe. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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