aile French · revision 17493

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 12th century|origins=la āla}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɛl/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɛːl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aile''' ''f'' (plural ailes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|ele]], [[m|fro|eille]], [[m|fro|aule]], [[m|fro|aesle]];^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary) Middle French [[m|frm|aisle]], ''aelle''; the spelling ''aile'' dates from the 15th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|ele]], [[inh|la|āla|t=wing; armpit; wing of an army]], respelt with ⟨ai⟩ in the 15th century after the Latin word.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|24, 281a) The Latin noun is related to [[m|la|axis|t=axle]] (see [[aisselle]], [[axe]], [[essieu]]), probably an old derivative from a supposed [[m|la|*axla]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|ala]], [[es|ala]], [[oc|ala]], [[ca|ala]] and [[pt|asa]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the 12th century as ''ele'', for the wing of a bird;^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873) Thomas Becket's Life (12th century) already has ''l'eele del nort'' for the north side.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the bird's wing came many phrases: ''à tire d'aile'' (1532), ''donner des ailes à'' (1652), and ''battre de l'aile'' “to be in a bad way” (1611), preceded by ''ne battre que d'une aile'' (1606).^(DHLF 1992) ''Sous l'aile de'' “under the protection of” is from 1403.^(DHLF 1992) The wing of a fowl as food, as opposed to the leg, is from the 13th century.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The idea of a side gave the wing of a building (about 1200), of an army (1310), of the nose (1546) and of a hat (1611); in the 20th century it was used of a football team (1924) and of a political party (1924).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) The sail of a windmill is in Rabelais (1534); the lifting surface of an aircraft dates from the 1860s, and the wing of a motor car, over the wheel, from the early 20th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 12th century – ''Ele'', a bird's wing.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1200 – The wing of a building.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1310 – The wing of an army.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1403 – ''Sous les ailes de'', “under the protection of”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – The spelling ''aile''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1534 – The sail of a windmill, in Rabelais.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1546 – ''Les ailes du nez''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1611 – ''Battre de l'aile''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1902 – The wing of a car.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|wing]] of a bird, bat or insect: ''l'oiseau bat des ailes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # The wing of a fowl as food.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The wing of an [[m|en|aircraft]].^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A side part: the wing of a building, an army, a sports team or a political party.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # The [[m|en|fender]] or wing of a car.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+ # The sail of a [[moulin|alt=windmill]]; the side of the nose: ''les ailes du nez''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Battre de l'aile'': to be in a bad way, ''avoir du plomb dans l'aile'', to be in trouble, ''prendre sous son aile'', to take under one's wing.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Voler de ses propres ailes'': to stand on one's own two feet.^(Le Robert)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aileron]]

+ * [[ailette]]

+ * [[ailier]]

+ * [[ailé]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aisselle]]

+ * [[alaire]]

+ * [[la|āla]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}