auguste French · revision 15823
17 Oct 2026, 20:57 by bogdan “New French entry (TLFi, FEW, DHLF, Bloch–Wartburg…)” current version
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+ French has two words spelled ''auguste'': the adjective “august”, from Latin, and the circus clown, adapted from German.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ {{homograph|1|august}}
+
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1243|origins=la augur}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /o.ɡyst/^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''auguste''' (plural augustes)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ The adjective is [[bor|la|augustus|t=consecrated by the augurs; venerable]],^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|25, 906a) which Rey derives from [[m|la|augur|t=augur]];^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Littré instead linked it with [[m|la|augeō|t=to increase]].^(Littré 1873) The Latin adjective, said first of undertakings of good omen, became the title of the emperor from Octavian onwards, rendering [[grc|σεβαστός|tr=sebastós]];^(DHLF 1992) it also meant “imposing, worthy of respect”.^(DHLF 1992) The inherited doublet is [[août]], the month named after Augustus.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ It is first found in 1243, qualifying the name of a Roman emperor (''César auguste'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ The word was rare before the 17th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) The extended Latin sense “imposing, venerable” was taken up in the 15th century and became current in classical French,^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) as in Hugo's ''le geste auguste du semeur''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) It is now literary or ironic (''cette auguste assemblée'').^(Petit Robert 2007) As a noun with a capital, ''Auguste'' is the title of the Roman emperors.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Larousse) Voltaire tried in vain to replace ''août'' by ''auguste''.^(Littré 1873)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 1243 – ''César auguste''.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 15th century – “Venerable, imposing”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)
+ * 1503 – ''Augustement''.^(DHLF 1992)
+ * 18th century – Voltaire's ''auguste'' for ''août''.^(Littré 1873)^(Grand Robert 2005)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|august|alt=August]], venerable, inspiring respect: ''une auguste assemblée''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)
+ # Of princes, royal, imperial.^(Larousse)^(GLLF 1989)
+
+ ===Noun===
+ # ''(Roman history)'' ''Auguste'': Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Larousse)
+
+ {{homograph|2|clown}}
+
+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=calque|attested=1898|origins=de August}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /o.ɡyst/^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''auguste''' ''m'' (plural augustes)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ The clown is an adaptation of a German expression, influenced by the French adjective and used by antiphrasis:^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007) the name [[de|August]], from Latin “Augustus”, as in the German phrase “dumme August” “stupid Augustus”.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992) Rey connects it with the clown Tom Belling.^(DHLF 1992)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ It is first recorded in 1898.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ In the circus the ''auguste'', with his loud make-up and grotesque clothes, is opposed to the ''clown blanc'';^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Rey notes that the word remains technical and that most people call him simply ''clown''.^(DHLF 1992)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 1898 – First record.^(Grand Robert 2005)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # ''(circus)'' An auguste, a [[m|en|clown]] with garish make-up and clumsy manners, the foil of the white clown.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[augure]]
+ * [[août]]
+ * [[la|augustus]]
+ * [[en|august]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}