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feurre

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Etymology and origin of the French word feurre

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1160–1174 Wace, Roman de Rou More words from the 12th century
Borrowed from
Frankish *fodar via Old French
Ultimate origin
Frankish *fodar
Derivations

Pronunciation

Forms

feurre m (plural feurres)[1] Also fouarre (1755).[2][3] Old French fuerre;[4][2][3] Middle French foarre (1538).[4][2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French fuerre, borrowed from Frankish *fodar (“fodder for animals”).[4][2][3][5] Medieval Latin had foderum “fodder for horses” in 805.[4] The Frankish word goes back to Proto-Germanic *fōdrą.[1] Cognate with Middle Dutch voder, Old High German fuotar, German Futter and English fodder.[4][6][1]

From the 13th century the word was hampered by its likeness to the Old French word “sheath”, the source of fourreau, and fourrage, derived from it, took its place.[4][6] Picard and Norman för and Old Occitan foire, both “straw”, have the same origin.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Roman de Rou (1160–1174) has fuerre for fodder for animals.[4] About 1165 Guillaume d'Angleterre, attributed to Chrétien de Troyes, uses it for straw.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Middle French it still meant fodder and hay;[8] Froissart writes of an army well supplied except for fuerres et avainne “fodder and oats”.[8] Paris had a rue au Fuerre in 1292,[4] and Bloch and Wartburg cite the rue du Fouarre there.[6] In 1756 the Encyclopédie used feurre for long straw used to seat chairs.[4][3] Bloch and Wartburg note that the word lives on in the dialects as feurre, foerre, foarre or fouarre for straw.[6]

Timeline

  • 1160–1174 – Fuerre “fodder” in Wace's Roman de Rou.[4]
  • c. 1165 – Fuerre “straw” in Guillaume d'Angleterre.[4]
  • 1292 – The rue au Fuerre is recorded in Paris.[4]
  • 13th century – The form feurre appears.[2][3]
  • 1538 – Robert Estienne has foarre.[3]
  • 1755 – Fouarre is recorded.[2][3]
  • 1756 – The Encyclopédie uses it for long straw for chair seats.[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (obsolete) The dried stalks of cereals, straw.[3][1]
  2. (obsolete) Long straw used to seat chairs.[4][3][1]
  3. (obsolete) Fodder for animals.[4][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 15/2, 155a
  6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ a b c Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf

Related etymologies

  • malle · also from Frankish
  • houx · also from Frankish
  • halle · also from Frankish
  • gué · also from Frankish
  • canif · also from Frankish
  • haïr · also from Frankish
  • étai · also from Frankish
  • barguigner · also from Frankish
Cite this entry

“Feurre.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/feurre. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·