épine French · revision 15642

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (espines)|origins=la spīna}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /e.pin/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''épine''' ''f'' (plural épines)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''espine''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|espine]], [[inh|la|spīna|t=thorn; thorny shrub; spine]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|12, 176b) which also meant an animal's spine or prickle and, figuratively, a difficulty.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Rey says the Latin word, perhaps related to [[la|spīca|t=ear of grain]], has no known origin;^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Wiktionary traces it to [[ine-pro|*spey-|t=sharp point]].^(Wiktionary) Latin distinguished [[m|la|spīna]] “thorn” from [[m|la|spīnus]] “thorn bush”, and French ''épine'' took both senses.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|spina]], [[oc|espina]] and [[es|espina]].^(Littré 1873)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century) has ''espines'' for thorny shrubs, the sense of the crown of thorns.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The shrub sense now survives only in names: ''épine blanche'' “hawthorn” (15th century, compare [[aubépine]]), ''épine noire'' “blackthorn” (late 12th century), and the Holy Thorn of Christ's crown.^(DHLF 1992) The usual sense “thorn, prickle” is from about 1175, and of animals' spines from 1660.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ In anatomy ''épine'' means the backbone (''épine dorsale'', 1314), whence [[épinière]] in ''moelle épinière'' “spinal cord” (1660).^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Figuratively it is a difficulty (Chastellain, before 1475): ''une épine dans le pied'', ''tirer une épine du pied à quelqu'un'' “to get someone out of a fix”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 10th century – ''Espines'' “thorn bushes”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * c. 1175 – “Thorn, prickle”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1314 – ''Épine dorsale''.^(TLFi)

+ * before 1475 – Figurative “difficulty”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1514 – ''Épinette'' “spinet”, after Italian.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1660 – ''Moelle épinière''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|thorn]] or [[m|en|prickle]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A thorny shrub: ''épine blanche'' “[[m|en|hawthorn]]”, ''épine noire'' “[[m|en|blackthorn]]”.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Épine dorsale'': the [[m|en|spine]], backbone.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Une épine dans le pied'': a thorn in one's side, a nagging difficulty.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[épinette]]

+ * [[épinière]]

+ * [[aubépine]]

+ * [[épineux]]

+ * [[épinoche]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[épi]]

+ * [[épiner]]

+ * [[la|spīna]]

+ * [[en|spine]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}