Etymologically
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vierge

Etymology and origin of the French word vierge

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (virgo)
Borrowed from
Latin virgo
Ultimate origin
Latin (virgō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin virgo
French vierge

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /vjɛʁʒ/[1]

Forms

vierge f (plural vierges)[1] Virgo (about 980), virgine (about 1050), virjne (1119), virge[2][3][4]; vierge from about 1250.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin virgō (“maiden, virgin”), taken through Church Latin (accusative “virginem”),[3][2][4][5][6] a word with no known Indo-European counterpart.[2] In imperial Latin “virgo” was also an adjective for anything unused, the name of a constellation and, in Christian Latin, the Virgin Mary.[2] Wiktionary treats the Old French forms as inherited.[1]

Compare Italian vergine, Spanish virgen and Portuguese virgem.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) says Christ's mother was virgo;[3][2] Philippe de Thaon has virjne (1119).[3]

Semantic evolution

In Old French vierge was less common and less general than pucelle.[2] As an adjective it was applied to things from the 13th century: cire vierge “virgin wax” (Jean de Meun), or vierge “pure gold” (1611), terres vierges “unworked land” (1780), forêt vierge (Gautier, 1843), and in mountaineering cimes vierges “unclimbed peaks” (1868).[3][8] Montaigne (1588) used it of what is unsullied or incorruptible.[3]

Modern uses include casier judiciaire vierge “clean record” and pellicule or film vierge, unexposed film.[8] La Vierge is the Virgin Mary, and the constellation and sign of Virgo.[9][1]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – Virgo (Passion).[3][2]
  • c. 1050 – Virgine.[2]
  • 1119 – Virjne (Philippe de Thaon).[3]
  • c. 1250 – Vierge.[2]
  • 1269–1278 – Cire vierge.[3]
  • 1780 – Terres vierges.[3]
  • 1843 – Forêt vierge.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A virgin.[9][1]
  2. La Vierge: the Virgin Mary[9][1]; (astronomy, astrology) Virgo.[9][1]

Adjective

  1. Virgin, who has had no sexual relations.[9][1]
  2. Unused, blank, untouched: forêt vierge, casier judiciaire vierge.[8][1]
  3. Pure, unmixed: or vierge.[3]
  • virginal
  • virginité
  • Latin virgō

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. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 502b
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Vierge.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/vierge. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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