douve

French

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old French dove, doue, from Latin doga, from Ancient Greek δοχή (dokhḗ), from Proto-Indo-European *doḱ-éh₂.

Cognate with Telugu తవ్వు (tavvu), Hindi दीवार (dīvār), Persian دیوار, Turkish duvar, Dutch duig (“stake, piece”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /duv/

Noun

douve f (plural douves)

1. moat (defensive ditch)
2. stave (of a barrel)

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle French dauve, from Old French dolve, from Late Latin dolva, related to the name of a buttercup that grows in swamps, attested in the fifth century and possibly of Celtic origin.

Noun

douve f (plural douves)

1. fluke (parasitic flatworm)

Further reading

• “douve”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dove, duve, dowve, dowe, doufe, douf

Etymology

Inherited from Old English *dūfe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈduːv(ə)/, /ˈduː(ə)/, /ˈduːf(ə)/

Noun

douve (plural douves)

1. A dove, pigeon, or similar bird.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Matheu 10:16, page 4v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     lo I ſende ȝou as ſcheep in þe myddil of wolues / þerfoꝛ be ȝe ſliȝ as ſerpentis .· and ſymple as dowues

     So I'm sending you out like sheep in amongst wolves, so be shrewd like snakes and harmless like doves.

2. An affectionate term of familiarity.

Related terms

• dovehouse

Descendants

• English: dove
• Scots: doo, dow

References

• “dǒuve, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-08-26.