Etymologically
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froid

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fʁwa/[1]
  • IPA: /fʁwɑ/[1]

Forms

froid (feminine froide, masculine plural froids, feminine plural froides)[1] Old French freit, feminine freide (late 11th century), froit, froide (12th century), froid from the 14th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French freit, inherited from Latin frīgidus (“cold, chilled; indifferent”), through Late Latin “frigdus” with a short “i”, recorded in the “Appendix Probi”.[4][2][5][6][1] The change of vowel has been explained by dissimilation or by the influence of rigidus (“stiff”).[5] “Frīgidus” is derived from frīgus (“cold”), related to Ancient Greek ῥῖγος (rhîgos, “frost”).[2][7] The learned frigide is a doublet.[1]

Compare Occitan freg, Catalan fred, Spanish frío, Portuguese frio and Italian freddo.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) as a plural noun, granz freiz “great cold spells”; the adjective appears in 1121 (freid leu “a cold place”).[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Figurative uses came early: froides noveles “sad news” (about 1150), and “unfeeling, apathetic” in Gautier de Coinci (about 1223).[4] The noun le froid is found in all the Gallo-Romance dialects, often as a feminine after chaleur.[5] In Quebec the adjective also means “chilled”, as in une bière froide.[2] Phrases include à froid “cold, without heating”, prendre froid “to catch cold”, jeter un froid and garder la tête froide.[2][1] Derivatives include froidure, froideur and refroidir (12th century).[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Granz freiz in the Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • 1121 – Freid leu, in the Voyage de saint Brendan.[4]
  • c. 1150 – Froides noveles “sad news”.[4]
  • 12th century – Froidure, froideur, refroidir.[5]
  • c. 1223 – “Unfeeling”, in Gautier de Coinci.[4]
  • 14th century – The spelling froid.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. cold: de l'eau froide, il fait froid.[1][8]
  2. Cold, distant, unfriendly: un accueil froid.[1]
  3. Calm, unemotional: garder la tête froide.[4][2]
  4. (Quebec) Chilled: une bière froide.[2]

Noun

  1. The cold; cold weather: les grands froids, avoir froid: to be cold.[4][1]
  2. A chill: prendre froid.[1]
  3. Coolness between people: jeter un froid, être en froid avec.[1]

Word family

  • froideur
  • froidir
  • froidure
  • refroidir
  • refroidissement

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ a b c d e f 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, 797b
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert