fonderie

Forms

fonderie f (plural fonderies)^[1] Middle French fondrie (1373); the spelling fonderie is found from the 16th century.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French fondre + -erie.^[2][1][5] The verb is from Latin fundō (“to pour out, cause to flow”).^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is fondrie in a document of 8 February 1373 from Tournai, on the tools of the founder's trade, meaning the craft of melting and casting metals.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

In Middle French the word meant the act of melting metals,^[8][9] and, from about 1540, also the works where ore is smelted.^[2][9] Palissy, in the 16th century, writes of founders “and every kind of foundry”.^[10]

In 1680 Richelet records it for a works that casts objects such as printing type and coins;^[2] Littré also gives the chandlers' name for the large vat in which wax is melted.^[10] Today it is the technique and industry of casting metal in moulds, and the plant where this is done.^[11][2]

Timeline

• 1373 – Fondrie appears in a document from Tournai.^[2][7]
• c. 1450 – A Middle French document uses it of the melting of metals.^[8]
• 1540–1550 – The royal building accounts use it of a casting workshop.^[2]
• 16th century – Palissy uses the spelling fonderie.^[10][3]
• 1680 – Richelet records the sense “works casting type or coins”.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records the extended sense “factory of cast objects”.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The technique and industry of melting metals and casting them in moulds.^[11][2][3]
2. A foundry, a works where ore is smelted or metal is cast;^[11][2][10] une fonderie de cuivre.^[11][2][10]
3. A factory of objects in cast metal, such as type or cannon.^[2][10]
4. (chandlery) The large vat in which wax is melted.^[10]

Related words

• fondre
• fondeur
• fonte
• Latin fundō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b 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, 864b
7. ^ a b Godefroy, Frédéric (1881–1902), Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle, 10 vols., Paris: Vieweg / Bouillon
8. ^ a b Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
9. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
11. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert