Etymologically
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fer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fɛʁ/[1]

Forms

fer m (plural fers)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin ferrum (“iron; sword; iron object; chains”).[2][3][4][5][1][6] The Latin word is of unknown origin: ironworking reached the Indo-European area late, after bronze, and the names of the metal differ from one language to another; some suppose a borrowing from Etruscan.[3][7]

Cognate with Romanian fier, Italian ferro, Occitan fèrre, Catalan ferro, Spanish hierro and Portuguese ferro.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) uses it for a sword; the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has it for the iron head of a weapon and for the metal itself.[2][3][9]

Semantic evolution

Following Latin, les fers were a prisoner's chains (1174–1187, Chrétien de Troyes), and figuratively slavery (1552, Ronsard).[2][3] Chrétien's Chevalier au lion (1176–1181) has it for a horseshoe, later fer à cheval, and, from the second half of the 13th century it named tools of iron or other metal; the smoothing iron is fer à unir le linge in 1660, later fer à repasser.[2][3]

De fer “very strong” is in Guillaume de Lorris (1225–1230), later “unshakeable”, as in une santé de fer and main de fer.[2][3] The proverb battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud is found in the 14th century.[9] Golf took it up for an iron club (1933).[10]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – “Sword”, Passion de Clermont.[2]
  • c. 1100 – The metal; the iron of a weapon, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • 1174–1187 – Fers “chains”, Chrétien de Troyes.[2]
  • 1176–1181 – A horseshoe.[2]
  • 1225–1230 – De fer “very strong”, Guillaume de Lorris.[2]
  • 1279 – Bestes de fer, a legal term.[2]
  • 1660 – A smoothing iron.[2]
  • 1933 – A golf club.[10]

Meanings

Noun

  1. iron, the metal: minerai de fer, fil de fer, (figurative) de fer, very strong, unbending: une santé de fer, une main de fer.[7][1][3]
  2. The iron part of a tool or weapon: fer de lance, croiser le fer, to fence, cross swords.[7][1]
  3. A horseshoe: fer à cheval.[7][1]
  4. An iron, a heated tool: fer à repasser, fer à souder, fer à friser.[1][3]
  5. (plural, literary) Chains, fetters; captivity: être dans les fers.[2][1]
  6. (golf) An iron.[1][10]

Word family

  • ferraille
  • ferrailler
  • ferret
  • ferronnerie
  • fer-blanc
  • ferrer
  • ferreux
  • ferroviaire
  • Latin ferrum

Usage notes

In old law bêtes de fer or cheptel de fer (1279) was livestock that a tenant had to return in full at the end of the lease; the Grand Robert takes it as probably the same word by an obscure change of sense, and the TLFi compares the Mishnaic Hebrew ṣon barzel “iron flock” and Middle Low German îser(e)nkô “iron cow”.[2][4] Littré thought instead of Latin firmus.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 470b
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF