pièce French · revision 17373

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (pece)|origins=xtg *pettia}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pjɛs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pièce''' ''f'' (plural pièces)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|pece]] (late 10th century), ''piece'', Picard ''pieche''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|piece]], [[inh|la-med|petia|t=piece of land; small piece of beaten gold]], recorded from about 730; this is [[der|xtg|*pettia]], restored after [[cy|peth|t=thing]] and [[br|pez|t=piece]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|8, 332b)^(Wiktionary) Diez objected that Celtic “th” does not regularly give “s” in Romance; other proposals, a Greek word for “foot” or a Latin “*petium”, have not been accepted.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|pezza]], [[oc|peça]], [[es|pieza]] and [[pt|peça]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Pece'' is found at the end of the 10th century in the ''Passion'' of Clermont with an obscure sense, perhaps “some time”; in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) it means a part of something torn or broken.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The time sense, ''une pièce'' “a while” (about 1140) and ''grant piece'' “a long time”, died out in the 16th or early 17th century, surviving only in the archaic [[piéça]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the sense “fragment” the word gave way to ''morceau'' from the 14th century, except in phrases such as ''mettre en pièces'' (1460–1466) and ''tailler en pièces'' (1579).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ As a separate unit of a whole it spread into many fields: a patch of cloth (about 1265), a plot of land (1176–1184), a cask of wine (1260), a coin (about 1285, ''rendre la monnaie de sa pièce'', 1787), a gun (about 1500), a document (''pièces justificatives'', 1535), a chessman (1559), a literary work (1580) and a play (1631).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) ''Pièce'' “room” of a dwelling is recorded in 1694.^(TLFi) ''Travailler aux pièces'' “to do piecework” dates from 1840–1845, and ''pièce montée'' from 1807.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Pece'' in the ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – A fragment, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176–1184 – ''Piece de tiere'' “plot of land”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1285 – ''Pièce d'argent'' “coin”, in Rutebeuf.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1500 – A piece of artillery, in Commynes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1580 – A literary work, in Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1631 – A play, in Guez de Balzac.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ * 1694 – A room of a dwelling.^(TLFi)

+ * 1807 – ''Pièce montée''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|room]] in a house or flat: ''un appartement de trois pièces''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # A [[m|en|piece]], part, component: ''pièces détachées'', ''en pièces'': in pieces.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An item, unit: ''vendu à la pièce'', ''travailler aux pièces''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A [[m|en|coin]] (''pièce de monnaie'').^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|patch]] of cloth.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # A [[m|en|play]] (''pièce de théâtre''); a piece of music.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # A document: ''pièce d'identité'', ''pièce jointe''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # A plot of land; a cask of wine; a gun (''pièce d'artillerie''); a chessman.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(heraldry)'' An [[m|en|ordinary]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Canada, informal)'' A dollar.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[piécette]]

+ * [[dépecer]]

+ * [[rapiécer]]

+ * [[dépiécer]]

+ * [[empiècement]]

+ * [[emporte-pièce]]

+ * [[piéça]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|piece]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}