Etymograph

English

flambeau

Flambeau comes from French flambeau ‘torch’, from Latin flammula ‘a little flame’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰl̥g- ‘to shimmer, gleam, shine’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰl̥g-‘to shimmer, gleam, shine’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰl̥-g-mh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*flagmā‘flame’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEflamma‘flame’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEflammula‘a little flame’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400flamble
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentflambe
  8. French, derivedc. 1600–presentflambeau‘torch’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1837same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰl̥g-‘to shimmer, gleam, shine’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰl̥-g-mh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*flagmā‘flame’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEflamma‘flame’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEflammula‘a little flame’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400flamble
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentflambe
  8. French, derivedc. 1600–presentflambeau‘torch’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1837same form

Earliest quotation: 1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History […]: “Saint-Antoine has its cannon pointed (full of grapeshot); thrice…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *flagmā ‘flame’

inflame, aflame, 6 more

through Latin flamma ‘flame’

flame, inflammable, 9 more

Today it means

noun A burning torch, especially one carried in procession.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰl̥g- / flambeau

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