Everyday French is full of expressions whose origins date back to the Middle Ages. To discover these popular images is to immerse yourself in the daily life of the fields, castles and parishes. Here are 15 French expressions born between fairs, wars and medieval rituals, with their origin and their meaning today.
1) Crier haro — Public appeal for help and justice introduced in Normandy in the twelfth century: “haro” was the complaint to denounce an abuse.
2) To have a stitch from — “Maille” was a medieval small coin; To have a quarrel means to have a dispute or to be in dispute over money.
3) Having a storefront — The gable, the façade of a house facing the street, symbolized urban prestige in the Middle Ages: to have a gable on the street was to be well established.
4) Put the cart before the horse — An ancient peasant proverb: restore the natural order of agricultural work, otherwise we do everything wrong.
5) Hold the sugared almonds high — Sugared almonds, medieval sweets given to important guests, symbolized power and favor: keeping someone in a position of waiting or humiliation.
6) To have a voice in the chapter — The “chapter” designated the assembly of the canons of a cathedral; Today, to have a voice in the chapter is to have the right to give an opinion.
7) Quarantine — Sanitary measure that appeared during the Black Death (fourteenth century): isolate suspicious ships and people for forty days.
8) Falling into a distaff — The distaff, an instrument of spinning used by women in the Middle Ages; Falling into a distaff evokes a person’s social decline.
9) To be at bay — “Bark” refers to the barking of hunting dogs; To be at bay is to be cornered and without resources.
10) Turning one’s coat — In the days of chivalrous combat, turning one’s coat (clothing) meant changing sides or loyalty.
11) It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back — Very old domestic and agricultural image: a small event that provokes a reaction after accumulation.
12) To give up one’s throat — A violent expression that comes from the ancient meaning of giving up one’s life or paying until the last breath, common in the Middle Ages.
13) Sparing the goat and the cabbage — A medieval peasant metaphor to reconcile two opposing interests.
14) Being in turmoil — Turmoil evokes storm and trouble, a term used since the Middle Ages for crises.
15) Passing the gun to the left — Warrior idiom: in the past, falling to the left meant to be dead on the battlefield.
These expressions bear witness to a living linguistic heritage. Knowing their medieval origins enriches our understanding of French and reveals how much our language still bears the traces of the customs, trades and conflicts of the past.
