gâteau French · revision 17710

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1140, Gaimar|origins=frk *wastil}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɡa.to/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɡɑ.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gâteau''' ''m'' (plural gâteaux)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|gastel]] (about 1140), nominative [[m|fro|gastiax]] (about 1170); ''gastiau'' (about 1265, Jean de Meun), ''gasteau'' (15th century), ''gâteau'' from 1636.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992) Picard ''wastel''.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|gastel]], [[inh|la-vul|*wastellum]], probably from [[frk|*wastil|t=food]], which is inferred from Old Saxon, Old English and Middle High German [[m|ang|wist|t=food]] and is derived from a Germanic word for “wax” (compare [[en|wax]], [[de|Wachs]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|17, 547a) Wiktionary takes it back to [[gem-pro|*wastilaz]] and [[ine-pro|*wes-|t=to eat]].^(Wiktionary) Pierre Guiraud instead connects it with Middle French [[m|frm|gasche|t=flat cake]], from a Gallo-Romance [[m|la-vul|*vasitō|t=to make a paste]], related to [[gâcher]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) Littré wondered about a link with a Germanic verb “to waste”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Geffrei Gaimar's ''Estoire des Engleis'' (about 1140) has the plural ''gastels'' for food made of dough;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Chrétien de Troyes's ''Érec'' has ''li gastiax'' about 1170.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The 13th-century ''Livre des métiers'' already distinguishes the bakers' ''gastel à presenter''.^(Littré 1873) ''Avoir part au gâteau'', to get a share of the profits, is in ''Amadis'' (1541), and the ''gâteau des Rois'' with its bean is in Rabelais (1532), whence ''trouver la fève au gâteau'', to have a lucky find.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873) Félibien in 1676 uses it in sculpture for a piece of wax or clay that fills a mould, and Richelet in 1680 for the honeycomb of bees.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) Many regional cakes bear the name, such as the ''gâteau à la broche'' of the Aveyron (1878).^(DHLF 1992) ''C'est du gâteau !'', it's a piece of cake, is recorded in 1952.^(GLLF 1989) Used as an adjective, ''papa gâteau'' and ''grand-mère gâteau'' describe an indulgent parent.^(Larousse) English borrowed ''gateau'' in 1845.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1140 – ''Gastels'' in Gaimar.^(TLFi)

+ * 1532 – ''Gâteau des Rois'', in Rabelais.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1541 – ''Avoir part au gâteau''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1636 – The spelling ''gâteau'', in Monet.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1676 – A sculptor's wax filling, in Félibien.^(TLFi)

+ * 1680 – A honeycomb, in Richelet.^(TLFi)

+ * 1845 – English borrows ''gateau''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1952 – ''C'est du gâteau !''^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|cake|alt=cake]], a pastry usually made of flour, butter and eggs, most often sweet: ''gâteau au chocolat'', ''une part de gâteau''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''Gâteaux secs'', ''petits gâteaux'': biscuits.^(Le Robert)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A sweet dish where flour is replaced by something else: ''gâteau de riz''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(Switzerland)'' A [[tarte|alt=tart]].^(Larousse)

+ # ''(beekeeping)'' A [[m|en|honeycomb]].^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+ # A flat round mass of pressed material: ''gâteau de plomb''.^(Larousse)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''C'est du gâteau'': it's easy, ''avoir part au gâteau'': to get a share of the profits.^(Le Robert)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(familiar, invariable)'' Over-indulgent: ''un papa gâteau'', ''des grand-mères gâteau''.^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[frk|*wastil]]

+ * [[en|gateau]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}