farine

Forms

farine f (plural farines)^[1] Anglo-Norman also farine from the late 12th century.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin farīna (“flour”),^[3][4][5][6] derived from far (“spelt, grain”).^[5][7][8] Rey notes that the Latin word, like faba (French fève), belongs to the vocabulary of northern Europe, with a Germanic counterpart in Old English bere (“barley”).^[5]

Cognate with Italian farina, Spanish harina, Portuguese farinha, Old Occitan farina, Romanian făină and Picard fraine.^{[5][6][9][10]}

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1160 in Eneas for flour;^[3] Littré quotes the 12th-century Livre des Rois: la farine ne defaldra (“the flour shall not run out”).^[10]

Semantic evolution

Since 1690 the word has also been used for the meal of plants other than cereals, and since 1865 for a white powder put on the face.^[5][8] Folle farine, the finest flour blown about the mill, is in Cotgrave (1611).^[8][10] Être de la même farine (16th century), a calque of Latin ejusdem farinae, is said disparagingly of people or things no better than each other.^[5] Rouler quelqu'un dans la farine “to fool someone”, a pun on rouler, is dated to the early 20th century by the GLLF.^[5][8]

Among the derivatives are farinier (1292), enfariner (14th century), whose la bouche enfarinée (1675) recalls the flour-faced simpleton of the old stage, and fariner (late 15th century).^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – First record, in Eneas.^[3]
• 1292 – The derivative farinier is recorded.^[5]
• 16th century – De la même farine appears.^[5]
• 1539 – farineux is borrowed from Late Latin.^[5][6]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records folle farine.^[8]
• 1690 – Used for the meal of plants other than cereals.^[5]
• 1865 – Used for face powder.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. flour, the powder obtained by grinding cereal grains: farine de blé, farine de maïs.^[11][12][13]
2. Without a qualifier, wheat flour.^[11][12][1]
3. Meal ground from other plants or materials, also animal feed: farine de poisson.^[13][1]
4. (construction) A very fine filler in concrete.^[13]

Word family

• enfariner
• farinacé
• fariner
• farineux

Related words

• farinier
• far
• Latin farina

Usage notes

De la même farine (of the same ilk, pejorative) and rouler quelqu'un dans la farine (to dupe someone) are the usual idioms.^[13][12][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ a b c 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
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 419a
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
11. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
12. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
13. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)