branche French · revision 16850

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 980|origins=la-lat branca}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /bʁɑ̃ʃ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''branche''' ''f'' (plural branches)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|branca|t=paw (of an animal)]] (4th century),^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|1, 496a) which developed the sense “branch of a tree” only in Gallo-Romance, by likeness of shape (1073).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Latin word is rare and of obscure origin;^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) a Celtic origin, suggested by its geographical spread, has been proposed by Bloch and Wartburg, the GLLF and Wiktionary, but Rey finds no support for it in the Celtic languages.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992) Littré reports that Diez thought it very old, since it is found in Romanian.^(Littré 1873) The French word replaced Old French [[m|fro|rain]] or [[m|fro|ram]], from [[la|rāmus|t=branch]] (compare [[rameau]]).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[pro|branca]], [[it|branca|t=claw]] and [[ro|brâncă|t=front paw]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rey dates it to about 980;^(DHLF 1992) the ''Chanson de Roland'' has ''Branches d'olive en vos mains porterez'' (“you will carry olive branches in your hands”).^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''De branche en branche'' (13th century) meant figuratively “one after another” (1387–1393) before ''sauter de branche en branche'' “to jump from one subject to another” (1690); ''être comme l'oiseau sur la branche'' “to be unsettled” is also from 1690.^(DHLF 1992) In Quebec French ''entendre à travers les branches'' is “to hear on the grapevine”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Analogical senses appear in Old French: each of the tales that make up the ''Roman de Renart'' is a ''branche'' (about 1178), and the word names a division of a complex whole (1306), a deer's antler (before 1250) and a line of descent from a common stock (1306).^(DHLF 1992) Joinville speaks of the ''branches'' of the Nile.^(Littré 1873) In Belgian and Swiss French it is a school subject.^(DHLF 1992) A bank's branch is recorded in 1873,^(BHVF) and ''(ma) vieille branche'' “(my) old pal” dates from 1861 (the Goncourts' ''Journal'').^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) ''Avoir de la branche'' “to have class” (before 1907) comes from horsemanship.^(DHLF 1992) Among the derivatives are [[ébrancher]] (about 1200), [[branchu]] (13th century), [[branchage]] (1453) and [[brancher]] (1510), first “to perch on a branch”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – First record.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Branches d'olive'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1178 – A ''branche'' of the ''Roman de Renart''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1306 – A line of descent; a division of a whole.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1453 – ''Branchage''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1510 – ''Brancher'' “to perch”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1690 – ''Sauter de branche en branche''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1861 – ''Vieille branche''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1873 – A branch of a bank.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|branch]] of a tree: ''branche morte'', ''maîtresse branche''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A branch, division (of a science, an activity, a family): ''(Belgium, Switzerland)'' a school subject.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A branch, local office (of a firm or bank).^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Ma vieille branche'': my old friend.^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+ # ''Asperges en branches'': whole asparagus spears.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[brancher]]

+ * [[branchette]]

+ * [[branchu]]

+ * [[branchage]]

+ * [[ébrancher]]

+ * [[embranchement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rameau]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}