vendange

Forms

vendange f (plural vendanges)^[1] Old French vendenge, venenge, venoinge and the plural vendeignes.^[2][3] The spelling vendange is recorded from the 16th century.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French vendenge, inherited from Latin vindēmia (“grape harvest, vintage season”).^[2][3][1] The Latin word is a compound of vīnum (“wine”) and a derivative of dēmō (“to take away”), a prefixed form of emō (“to take”).^[3][4] Littré notes the spelling ⟨vendemia⟩ in an inscription of the year 387.^[6]

Cognate with Italian vendemmia, Spanish vendimia, Portuguese vindima, Catalan verema and Occitan vendemia.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1200 in Jean Bodel's Jeu de saint Nicolas, meaning “wine, vintage”: chi a bonne vendenge “here is good wine”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Also about 1200 it meant the season of the grape harvest; from 1265 it named the gathering of the grapes, then from 1268 the grapes picked for wine.^[2][3] The plural vendanges (late 13th century) followed the singular.^[3]

In Old French it had figurative uses, such as faire vendange de “to massacre” (13th century).^[3] Rabelais has the proverb adieu paniers, vendanges sont faites “it is all over”, still quoted at times;^[3][6] faire vendange “to make a profit” (1690) has gone out of use.^[3][6] The English word vintage (early 15th century) comes, through Anglo-French, from the Old French word.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1200 – Jean Bodel uses vendenge for wine;^[2] Guiot de Provins uses it for the harvest season.^[2]
• 1265 – It names the gathering of grapes.^[2][3]
• 1268 – Venoinges names the harvested grapes.^[2]
• early 15th century – English vintage is recorded.^[8]
• 16th century – Rabelais uses adieu paniers, vendanges sont faites.^[3]
• 1636 – The diminutive vendangette “small harvest” is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1690 – Faire vendange “to make a profit” is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The grape harvest: the picking of ripe grapes to make wine: les vendanges commencent en septembre.^[9][2]
2. (chiefly plural) The season of the grape harvest, in autumn.^[9][1]
3. The grapes picked to make wine: fouler la vendange.^[9][4]
4. Vendange tardive: a late harvest giving wines of very high quality.^[2]

Word family

• vendangette

Related words

• vendanger
• vendangeur
• vendémiaire
• vin
• Latin vindēmia
• English vintage

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 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 d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert