Interesting, tsuwm. It looks as though the French use entente. I found the following in "Dictionnaire Universel Francophone © 1997 HACHETTE/EDICEF pour les bases de données dictionnairiques et la version réseau. - © 1997 AUPELF-UREF pour les ajouts scientifiques et l'adaptation lexicographique des bases. - © 1997 Claude Poirier pour la base lexicographique "Amérique du Nord"." Unfortunately, it doesn't give an etymology.
entente n. f.
1. Mot, phrase à double entente, que l'on peut comprendre, interpréter de deux façons. Note: all real French speakers, please correct my interpretations as needed! This means: Word, phrase ...that can be understood, interpreted in two ways.
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entendre v. tr.
I. 1. Litt. Percevoir le sens de, saisir par l'intelligence, comprendre. Literally, to perceive the sense of, to know by intelligence, to understand. Nowhere under this word did the dictionary use the phrase double entendre.
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Here's something interesting--I don't think the last line really needs translating.
Thresor de la langue française (1606)
entente (236)
Mettre toute son entente, Acriter animum intendere.
Mettre son entente à fouyr puis, Conferre animum ad fodiendos puteos.
Respondre à deux ententes, Perplexe respondere, Respondere suspensa et ambigua, et vtroque flexibilia, B. This Dictionary of Other Times had no mention of double entendre.
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/ARTFL/projects/dicos/
