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acétate

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Etymology and origin of the French word acétate

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1787 Guyton de Morveau, Méthode d'une nomenclature chimique More words from the 18th century
Ultimate origin
Latin acētum
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French acétique
English acetic
French acétate
English acetate
From the same root
French acétone ← acétique

Pronunciation

Forms

acétate m (plural acétates)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French acétique + -ate, according to the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert.[2][3][4] The TLFi forms it directly on Latin acētum (“vinegar”) with -ate, the suffix used for salts in chemical nomenclature.[5][6] Picoche places it in the family of a root Proto-Indo-European *ak- (“to be sharp”), with aigre and acide.[7] The FEW files it under the Latin word.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in 1787 in Guyton de Morveau's chemical nomenclature, which named the salts of acetic acid acétates as it named nitrates and phosphates.[5][6]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to the chemical vocabulary of the 1787 reform, for a salt or ester of acetic acid.[5][3] In the 20th century acétate de cellulose, or simply acétate, came to name the material used for plastics, synthetic fabrics, films and varnishes.[3] Wiktionary also gives the sense of a transparent sheet.[1]

English acetate is found by 1790 in a translation of Fourcroy, and as a synthetic material from 1920.[9]

Timeline

  • 1787 – Guyton de Morveau's nomenclature introduces the word.[5][6]
  • 1790 – English acetate appears in a translation of Fourcroy.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (chemistry) An acetate, a salt or ester of acetic acid: acétate de cuivre.[3][5][10]
  2. cellulose acetate, used in plastics, synthetic fabrics and films: une robe en acétate.[3]
  3. A transparent acetate sheet.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ a b c d e Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 102a
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Acétate.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/ac%C3%A9tate. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·