ferreux

Forms

ferreux (feminine ferreuse, masculine plural ferreux, feminine plural ferreuses)^[1]

Etymology

It is a derivative from French fer + -eux.^[2][1][3] The Grand Robert dates it to the 18th century; the TLFi has a first record in Cotgrave (1611).^[4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cotgrave's dictionary of 1611 records it in the sense “made of iron, as hard as iron”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

After Cotgrave the word is next found in the Journal de Trévoux (before 1752), still meaning “of iron” or “containing iron”.^[2][5][6] In the 19th century it became a term of chemistry (1838), used of compounds in which iron is bivalent, as in sulfate ferreux “ferrous sulphate”, beside ferrique (1789) for compounds of trivalent iron.^[2][5][7] Littré gives it only as a chemical term, for an oxide of iron.^[3]

In modern usage métaux ferreux are iron and its alloys, and métaux non ferreux the common metals that are not iron and contain none, such as copper or bronze.^[2][7]

Timeline

• 1611 – Cotgrave records it as “of iron, as hard as iron”.^[2][5]
• before 1752 – The Journal de Trévoux uses it again.^[2][5]
• 1838 – First found as a term of chemistry, recorded in the Académie's supplement of 1842.^[2]
• 1865 – Littré gives the chemical sense.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Containing iron: une argile très ferreuse.^[2][7][8]
2. Métaux ferreux: iron and its alloys, métaux non ferreux: the other common metals.^[2][7]
3. (chemistry) Ferrous, said of compounds in which iron is bivalent: sulfate ferreux, oxyde ferreux.^[2][7][6]

Related words

• fer
• ferrique
• Latin ferrum

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)