Traditional French Fry day

I haven't waded through all 70+ pages of this thread (yet), but I'm curious about the etymology of 'pataud'. I assume it's a place name, but it means something like 'oafish' in French, and I'd hazard a guess that the Sardinian "pattada" (also a place, also a knife) is a linguistic relation of some sort. Does anyone have any light to shed before I go down the rabbithole?

G7GIaBG.jpg
 
Ratatoskr said:
I haven't waded through all 70+ pages of this thread (yet), but I'm curious about the etymology of 'pataud'. I assume it's a place name, but it means something like 'oafish' in French, and I'd hazard a guess that the Sardinian "pattada" (also a place, also a knife) is a linguistic relation of some sort. Does anyone have any light to shed before I go down the rabbithole?

G7GIaBG.jpg
Click to expand...

Pataud is a family name. So is Fontenille. From what I gather, the family (families?) was the original founder of the firm.

An early head of the firm was Jeanne Fontenille Pataud.
 
kamagong said:
Pataud is a family name. So is Fontenille. From what I gather, the family (families?) was the original founder of the firm.

An early head of the firm was Jeanne Fontenille Pataud.
Click to expand...
Smith, Cooper, Carpenter, Wright, etc, are all family names but they describe and are derived from occupations. I'm guessing Pataud as a family name came from 'Jean, of Pataud' or whatever the appropriate name was, but that doesn't help me with where Pataud comes from. I'm wondering how much farther back from a family name it goes; I hope no one was employed as an oaf! (Because I missed my calling if you can make money that way.)
 
Ratatoskr said:
I haven't waded through all 70+ pages of this thread (yet), but I'm curious about the etymology of 'pataud'. I assume it's a place name, but it means something like 'oafish' in French, and I'd hazard a guess that the Sardinian "pattada" (also a place, also a knife) is a linguistic relation of some sort. Does anyone have any light to shed before I go down the rabbithole?

G7GIaBG.jpg
Click to expand...

kamagong said:
Pataud is a family name. So is Fontenille. From what I gather, the family (families?) was the original founder of the firm.

An early head of the firm was Jeanne Fontenille Pataud.
Click to expand...

Ratatoskr said:
Smith, Cooper, Carpenter, Wright, etc, are all family names but they describe and are derived from occupations. I'm guessing Pataud as a family name came from 'Jean, of Pataud' or whatever the appropriate name was, but that doesn't help me with where Pataud comes from. I'm wondering how much farther back from a family name it goes; I hope no one was employed as an oaf! (Because I missed my calling if you can make money that way.)
Click to expand...
Pataud since the XVII cent. means "clumsy", it describes a short-legged man, with a big belly and little spirit. This is is often a dog's name.
The family name is not very popular and comes mostly from under the Loire river, mainly Auvergne-Limousin, wich includes the town of Thiers.
Seems to come from "pitaud", a name given to peasants forcibly recruited, clearly not as skilled with weapons as the regular soldiers. (https://www.france-pittoresque.com/spip.php?article12438)
 
Last edited:
joeradza said:
The French Friday Four.
Click to expand...
Nice group, Alan!!


A gift from Jolipapa Jolipapa , this rare finger lock "Lelozere" opens by pressing the disc
(see last pic)!! Simple and interesting mechanism!!
The handle is one piece of fragrant, burly juniper, with no liner!
Great knife of very few pieces!! The blade and lock are all one piece of steel, laser-cut!!😲
Orso 1.jpgOrso 2.jpgOrso 3.jpgOrso 4.jpg:p
 
Last edited:
waynorth said:
Nice pic, with a mountain flower!! I didn't think your home was that high in elevation, JP!!?? ;)
Click to expand...
Parents home was only 700m high, good only for cows!
waynorth said:
It does look like Olive!! But the fragrance is Juniper!!
One piece of wood, one piece of steel, and some rivets!! 😲
Click to expand...
Bastide was the only knifemaker in Lozère (hence the name), it was the trade name of Yves Neveux, who invented many locking designs, Benchmade bought his square lock patent and Böker used also some of his patents. He was also a specialist of couteaux à secrets, needing to know the secret how to close them.
(Y. Neveux's site)
When he retired the future of the little company was unsure but his son took the challenge and produces new designs.
The "Lozère" itself is now made since 2021 by another young cutler, Nicolas Mourgues, in another villege, but still in Lozère.
Some nice picture of his beautiful (but quite desert) country.
 
Jolipapa said:
Parents home was only 700m high, good only for cows!
Click to expand...
Ha Ha!!!
Jolipapa said:
Bastide was the only knifemaker in Lozère (hence the name), it was the trade name of Yves Neveux, who invented many locking designs, Benchmade bought his square lock patent and Böker used also some of his patents. He was also a specialist of couteaux à secrets, needing to know the secret how to close them.
(Y. Neveux's site)
When he retired the future of the little company was unsure but his son took the challenge and produces new designs.
The "Lozère" itself is now made since 2021 by another young cutler, Nicolas Mourgues, in another villege, but still in Lozère.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the back story, JP!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top