garcio

Forms

garciō m (genitive garciōnis); third declension^[1] Medieval spellings include garsio, garzio, gartio, garzo and garso.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French garçon (“boy, servant”), of Germanic origin;^[2][4][5] Wiktionary instead derives it from an earlier ⟨*warciō⟩, from Frankish *wrakkijō (“mercenary, servant”).^[1] Etymonline traces the Old French word, perhaps through Gallo-Romance, to Frankish ⟨*wrakjo-⟩ and Proto-Germanic *wrakjon, the source also of Old High German recko, Old Saxon wrekkio (“exile”) and English wretch;^[5] Köbler instead gives Frankish *workjo (“worker”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its first use to the end of the 11th century.^[6][3] Orderic Vitalis (1120–1141)^[6] has it for ruffians whom a lord gathered round himself.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its senses ran from the hired soldier, marauder or murderer to the servant, the groom, the craftsman's mate and simply the boy or youth, often a mischievous one.^[3][4][2] The lexicographers Hugutio and William Brito explain it as a camp-follower who carries water for the army.^[7] In British sources it is often contemptuous (“rascal, ruffian”), but it was also used for the grooms and servants of the royal household.^[4] It is spelled garsio, garzio, gartio and garzo.^[2][3] English garcon (c. 1300, “boy, youth”) is from Old French.^[5]

Timeline

• end of the 11th century – first recorded.^[6][3]
• 1120–1141 – Orderic Vitalis uses it for unruly young men.^[4][6]
• 1191 – A letter quoted in a chronicle says that “he and his garciones” had drained the whole kingdom.^[4]
• c. 1300 – English borrows Old French garçun.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A mercenary soldier, a marauder or hired murderer.^[3]
2. (Medieval Latin) A servant, attendant.^[3][4][2]
3. (Medieval Latin) A groom who looks after horses.^[3][4]
4. (Medieval Latin) A craftsman's mate, an assistant.^[3][4]
5. (Medieval Latin) A boy, youth; a rascal, ruffian.^[3][4][2]

Related words

• English garcon

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre