troupe French · revision 16840

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=back-formation|attested=1178, Roman de Renart (trope)|origins=frk *þorp}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tʁup/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''troupe''' ''f'' (plural troupes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''trope'' (1178), a spelling kept until the second half of the 15th century, ''troupe'' from 1538 (Robert Estienne).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The TLFi and Wiktionary make it a back-formation from [[troupeau]], Old French [[m|fro|tropel]].^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary) Rey and the GLLF see in it either a form built on that word or the feminine form of an unattested Old French noun [[m|fro|*trop|t=gathering]], the source of the latter, represented by [[la-med|truppus]], [[m|la-med|troppus|t=herd]] (about 700).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) That noun probably comes, by metathesis, from [[frk|*þorp|alt=*thorp|t=village]] (compare [[de|Dorf]]), which also gave [[trop]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|17, 397b) Littré reports Diez's view that [[la|turba|t=crowd]] lies behind it.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ The word passed to [[it|truppa]] and [[es|tropa]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Roman de Renart'' (1178) uses ''trope'' for a large group of animals.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 1220 Robert de Clari uses it for a gathering of people moving or acting together, a sense that has aged, ''en troupe'' dates from 1553.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From 1477 it is a body of armed men ready to fight, from 1636 (plural) the soldiers of an army, and, from 1803 ''la troupe'', the soldiers as opposed to officers, whence ''homme de troupe'' and ''enfant de troupe'' (1833).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Hugo (1862) uses it for the armed force sent to restore order.^(TLFi)

+

+ A company of actors is a ''troupe'' from 1607 according to Rey (1662 in the TLFi, ''troupe de comédiens'', Molière, 1663), and a scout troop from 1928.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(BHVF) The old sense “herd of animals” went out of use at the end of the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992) English took ''troupe'' “company of performers” in 1825, beside the older ''troop''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1178 – ''Trope'' “herd”, ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1220 – A group of people, Robert de Clari.^(TLFi)

+ * 1477 – A body of soldiers.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – The spelling ''troupe'', Robert Estienne.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1636 – ''Les troupes'', an army's soldiers, Monet.^(TLFi)

+ * 1662 – A company of actors.^(TLFi)

+ * 1928 – A scout troop.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(military)'' A [[m|en|troop]], body of soldiers, ''(plural)'' troops, forces: ''envoyer des troupes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''La troupe'': the rank and file, as opposed to officers: ''homme de troupe''; the army or police sent to keep order.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A company of actors or performers: ''une troupe de théâtre''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(dated)'' A band, group of people: ''une troupe d'enfants'', ''en troupe'', all together.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A group of animals of the same kind: ''une troupe de singes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A scout troop.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[troupier]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[troupeau]]

+ * [[trop]]

+ * [[attrouper]]

+ * [[en|troupe]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}