aqueux

Forms

aqueux (feminine aqueuse, masculine plural aqueux, feminine plural aqueuses)^[1] It replaced Old French eveux, also ewos and eweu.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin aquōsus (“watery”), from aqua (“water”) (see eau).^[2][3][4][1]

The borrowing replaced the inherited adjective eveux (also ewos, about 1170), derived from Old French ewe (“water”), which lived on until the 16th century^[2] and still survives in many dialects.^[3]

Compare Italian acquoso, archaic Spanish aguoso and Old Occitan aigos.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1480 in vin aqueux “watery wine”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Like the parallel borrowings in other Romance languages, the word has stayed technical in both its senses, “of the nature of water” and (1546) “containing water”, said especially of fruit.^[2] The humeur aqueuse of the eye is recorded from 1546.^[6] Rey thinks its likeness in sound to queue did not help it.^[2]

In chemistry a solution aqueuse is one whose solvent is water.^[5][6]

Timeline

• c. 1170 – The inherited adjective is recorded as ewos.^[2]
• 14th century – Christine de Pizan writes palus esveus “watery marshes”.^[7]
• c. 1480 – Vin aqueux is recorded.^[2][5]
• 1503 – It appears in a translation of Guy de Chauliac.^[6][3]
• 1546 – Charles Estienne writes of the humeur aqueuse.^[6]
• 16th century – Ambroise Paré calls the first humour of the eye aqueux for its likeness to water.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Containing water, watery: une pêche aqueuse.^[5][8][6]
2. (formal) Of the nature of water; in anatomy, humeur aqueuse, the aqueous humour of the eye.^[5][8][6]
3. (chemistry) Having water as the solvent: solution aqueuse.^[5][6]
4. (figurative) Looking as if full of water: un ciel aqueux.^[6]

Related words

• eau
• aquosité
• Latin aquōsus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b 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