morceau French · revision 17077

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1120–50 (morsel)|origins=la mordeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɔʁ.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''morceau''' ''m'' (plural morceaux)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''morsel'' (1120–50), ''morcel'' (about 1155); ''morceau'' from 1480.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|mors|-eau]], from Old French [[m|fro|mors]] “bite, morsel”, with the diminutive suffix “-el”, later “-eau”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|6/3, 144b) “Mors” is from [[la|morsus|t=bite]], from [[m|la|mordeō|t=to bite]] (see [[mordre]]).^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary has it inherited from [[la-med|morsellum]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[it|morsello]] and [[pro|morsel]]; [[en|morsel]] comes from the Old French word.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Grant mal fist Adam'' (1120–50) has ''morsel'' for a piece of food bitten off, Wace (1155) uses it for a piece of something edible.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th century the link with biting faded and ''morceau'' came to mean any piece of a body or substance.^(DHLF 1992) Molière (1666) uses it for a passage of a literary work, and Furetière (1690) for a work of art, whence a piece of music.^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Avaler un morceau'' “to suffer an annoyance” is from the 16th century, ''manger le morceau'' “to confess, inform” (1798) may come from it, and has variants such as ''cracher le morceau''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Emporter le morceau'' “to win the day” is from 1866.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1120–50 – ''Morsel'' “mouthful”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1155 – A piece of food, Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – A piece of anything.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1480 – ''Morceau''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1666 – A passage of a work, Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1798 – ''Manger le morceau''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|piece]], bit (of food): ''un morceau de pain'', ''un morceau de sucre'', ''manger un morceau'', to have a bite.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A piece, fragment (of something): ''un morceau de bois'', ''en morceaux''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A piece (of music, literature): ''un morceau de piano'', ''morceaux choisis''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(slang)'' ''Manger'' or ''cracher le morceau'': to spill the beans.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[morceler]]

+ * [[morcellement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mordre]]

+ * [[mors]]

+ * [[morsure]]

+ * [[en|morsel]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}