fille French · revision 16344

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fij/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): [fɪj]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fille''' ''f'' (plural filles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|fille]], [[inh|la|fīlia|t=daughter; girl]], the feminine of [[m|la|fīlius|t=son]] (see [[fils]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|3, 516b) The sense “prostitute” comes from the shortening of phrases such as “fille de joie” and “fille publique”.^(Wiktionary)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|figlia]], [[oc|filha]], [[ca|filla]], [[es|hija]] and [[pt|filha]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century), ''fillies Jerusalem'' “daughters of Jerusalem”, of women considered by their place of origin; about 1050 the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' uses it of a daughter.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word kept the Latin sense of filiation, extended to a female descendant (15th century) and to someone regarded as one's daughter (1640).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) It became the name of some religious orders (''Filles-Dieu'', second half of the 13th century) and, figuratively, of something born of another (1601).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ As the opposite of ''garçon'' it meant a marriageable girl or unmarried woman (1528), whence ''rester fille'' and ''vieille fille'', ''fille-mère'' (1797) has given way to ''mère célibataire''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Pejoratively it meant a prostitute, alone (1387) or in ''fille de joie'' (1389) and ''fille perdue'' (1606).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) It also named a young woman in the queen's service (1606, ''fille d'honneur'', 1655) and female servants: ''fille de salle'', ''fille de cuisine''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Fillies Jerusalem'' in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – “Daughter”, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1200 – ''Fillete'' “little girl”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 13th century – ''Petite-fille''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1389 – ''Fille de joie''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1528 – “Unmarried young woman”, in Marot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1655 – ''Fille d'honneur'' in Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1797 – ''Fille-mère''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|daughter]]: ''Ils ont deux filles et un fils.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|girl]], as opposed to a boy: ''une petite fille'', ''jeune fille'', a young woman.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(dated)'' An unmarried woman: ''vieille fille'', an old maid.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(dated)'' A female servant: ''fille de salle'', ''fille de cuisine''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A member of certain religious orders: ''les Filles de la Charité''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(dated, pejorative)'' A [[m|en|prostitute]]: ''fille de joie'', ''fille publique''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A thing born of another.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fillette]]

+ * [[fifille]]

+ * [[petite-fille]]

+ * [[belle-fille]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fils]]

+ * [[la|fīlia]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}