étincelle French · revision 15693

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 11th century, Rashi (estencele)|origins=la scintilla}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /e.tɛ̃.sɛl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''étincelle''' ''f'' (plural étincelles)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''estencele'' (late 11th century, still in 1155), ''estincele'' (about 1200); ''étincelle'' from 1636.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|estencele]], [[inh|la-vul|*stincilla]], by metathesis of classical [[la|scintilla|t=spark]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|11, 312a) a word of expressive origin.^(DHLF 1992) The form with “-in-”, from Picardy and the north-east, became general,^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) as with [[cintre]] and [[pinte]].^(TLFi) The learned [[scintiller]] comes from the same Latin word.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[es|centella]] and [[it|scintilla]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rashi's glosses (late 11th century) have ''estencele'',^(TLFi) and Wace's ''Brut'' (1155) still uses that form.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Beside the glowing particle thrown off by a fire, the word has metaphorical uses for the gleam of the eyes (''jeter des étincelles'') and, from the 15th century, for a brief flash of wit or genius (''une étincelle de génie'').^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) An electric spark is an ''étincelle électrique''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ''C'est l'étincelle qui a mis le feu aux poudres'' is said of a small incident that sets off a conflict, and ''faire des étincelles'' “to do brilliantly” comes from cyclists' slang (1926).^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The verb [[étinceler]] “to sparkle” is from the 12th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 11th century – ''Estencele'' (Rashi).^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1155 – ''Estencele'' (Wace).^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1200 – ''Estincele''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – Figurative “flash (of wit)”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1636 – The spelling ''étincelle''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1926 – ''Faire des étincelles''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

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

+ # A brief gleam or flash: ''une étincelle de génie''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Faire des étincelles'' ''(familiar)'': to shine, do brilliantly.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[étinceler]]

+ * [[étincellement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[scintiller]]

+ * [[la|scintilla]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}