doux French · revision 16498

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (dulce)|origins=la dulcis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /du/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''doux''' (feminine douce, masculine plural doux, feminine plural douces)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|dulz]], [[m|fro|douz]] (12th century); ''doux'' from the 16th century.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ The feminine ''douce'' (''dulce'' in the ''Chanson de Roland'') was created in French, Latin ''dulcis'' had one form for both genders.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|dulz]], [[inh|la|dulcis|t=sweet; pleasant, charming; dear]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 174a) Rey and the Petit Robert connect the Latin word with [[grc|γλυκύς|tr=glukús|t=sweet]], from an earlier “*dlukus”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Bloch and Wartburg note that the other Latin adjectives for softness fared differently: “lēnis” survives only in [[ro|lin]], and for “suāvis” compare [[suave]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|dulce]], [[it|dolce]], [[ca|dolç]], [[es|dulce]] and [[pt|doce]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has ''France dulce'' “sweet France”, ''dulz païs'' and ''ewes dulces'', fresh water.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the first texts the adjective has its full range of uses: of taste, touch (''liz dulz'', about 1150), the weather (''vanz dolz'', Chrétien de Troyes, about 1176) and people (''douce fille'', about 1170), and in courtly lyric ''ma douce amie''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) Later additions are the technical “ductile” of metals (1690) and ''prix doux'' “moderate prices” (1808).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ The adverb (1531) gave ''filer doux'' “to toe the line” (1583) and classical ''tout doux!'' “gently!”.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Familiar ''en douce'' “on the quiet” dates from 1884.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) As a noun ''le doux'' is a neuter (1669), and in 19th-century slang a liqueur, opposed to ''le dur'' (1805).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''France dulce'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1150 – Of touch, ''Voyage de Charlemagne''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1176 – ''Vanz dolz'', Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1531 – The adverb.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1583 – ''Filer doux''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1690 – Of metals, “ductile”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1884 – ''En douce''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|sweet]]; mild in taste: ''amandes douces'', ''vin doux''; not salty: ''eau douce'', ''beurre doux''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|soft]], smooth to the touch: ''une peau douce''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|mild]], gentle: ''un climat doux'', ''une pente douce''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # (of a person) Gentle, kind: ''doux comme un agneau''.^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+ # Pleasant, sweet: ''de doux souvenirs'', ''faire les yeux doux''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Drogue douce'': a soft drug.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''Filer doux'': to behave meekly, toe the line.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''En douce'': on the quiet, on the sly.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[doucement]]

+ * [[douceur]]

+ * [[doucereux]]

+ * [[douceâtre]]

+ * [[doucet]]

+ * [[doucette]]

+ * [[adoucir]]

+ * [[radoucir]]

+ * [[redoux]]

+ * [[aigre-doux]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[douçâtre]]

+ * [[suave]]

+ * [[édulcorer]]

+ * [[la|dulcis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}