houx French · revision 15662

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200, hos (Roman de Renart)|origins=frk *hulis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /u/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''houx''' ''m'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''hos'', ''hous''.^(DHLF 1992) The ⟨h⟩ is aspirated.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|hos]], [[bor|frk|*hulis|t=holly]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|16, 261b) reconstructed from [[goh|hulis]], later “huls”, and [[dum|huls]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Compare [[de|Hülse]] and [[en|holly]].^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Roman de Renart'' (about 1200) has ''hos'' for the holly;^(TLFi) the GLLF cites Chrétien de Troyes (about 1175).^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word has kept its sense, the evergreen shrub with prickly leaves and red berries, used at Christmas.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989) Derivatives include ''houssaie'' “holly grove” (12th–13th century), ''houssine'', a switch of holly (15th century), and ''houssoir'' “broom”, from the verb ''housser'' “to sweep” (1269–1278).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) [[houspiller]] “to scold” comes from ''housser'' crossed with Old French ''pigner'' “to comb”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1200 – ''Hos'' (''Renart'').^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * mid-13th century – ''Hulseie'' “holly grove”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1269–1278 – ''Housser'' “to sweep”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1450 – ''Houspiller''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|holly|alt=Holly]], the evergreen shrub ''Ilex''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Petit houx'': [[m|en|butcher's broom]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[houssaie]]

+ * [[houssine]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[houspiller]]

+ * [[en|holly]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}