doigt French · revision 17330

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /dwa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''doigt''' ''m'' (plural doigts)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|deie]] (a plural of uncertain gender), [[m|fro|dei]] (about 1120), [[m|fro|doi]] (13th century) and ''doit''; the ⟨g⟩ was added after the Latin.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*ditus]], a contraction of [[la|digitus|t=finger, toe; finger's breadth]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 76b) Old French “deie” “finger's breadth” comes from the neuter plural “*dita” with collective value, which survives in Lorraine as a word for the finger.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The ⟨g⟩ of the spelling was restored after the Latin, in the 16th century according to Rey, earlier according to the GLLF, and Wiktionary adds that it also kept the noun apart from the verb form “doit”.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) Rey notes that there is no common Indo-European name for the finger and that “digitus” is often linked with “*deik-” “to show”, as in [[m|la|dīcō|t=to say]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|deget]], [[it|dito]], [[oc|det]], [[ca|dit]], [[es|dedo]] and [[pt|dedo]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has the plural ''deie'' as a measure: ''Cuntre dous deie l'ad del furrel getee'' (“he drew it two fingers' breadth out of the scabbard”).^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Philippe de Thaon has ''demustrer al dei'' “to point at” about 1120, and Chrétien de Troyes uses the word for a toe (1174–1180).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Phrases followed: ''être à deux doigts de'' “to be within an inch of” (Rabelais, 1552), ''compter sur ses doigts'' (before 1570) and ''savoir sur le bout des doigts'' (Molière, 1665).^(TLFi) ''Mon petit doigt me l'a dit'' is found in 1605, ''au doigt et à l'œil'' “under close control” in 1819, and ''les doigts dans le nez'' “effortlessly” in 1912.^(BHVF)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ It has named the finger of a glove since 1605, ''doigtier'' (1392), ''doigter'' and ''doigté'' (1798) are derivatives.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In African French ''un doigt de banane'' is a single banana from the bunch.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Dous deie'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1120 – ''Demustrer al dei'' in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * 1174–1180 – A toe, in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1552 – ''Être à deux doigts de'' in Rabelais.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – The spelling ''doigt''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1665 – ''Savoir sur le bout des doigts'' in Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1912 – ''Les doigts dans le nez''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|finger]]: ''les cinq doigts de la main'', ''compter sur ses doigts''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # A [[m|en|toe]]: ''doigt de pied''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The finger of a glove.^(Larousse)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A finger's breadth; a small amount: ''un doigt de vin''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Montrer du doigt'': to point at, ''lever le doigt'': to put up one's hand.^(Larousse)

+ # ''Être à deux doigts de'': to be within an inch of.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Savoir sur le bout des doigts'': to know perfectly, ''les doigts dans le nez'': effortlessly.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Mon petit doigt me l'a dit'': a little bird told me.^(BHVF)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[doigter]]

+ * [[doigté]]

+ * [[doigtier]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[orteil]]

+ * [[digital]]

+ * [[dé]]

+ * [[la|digitus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}