gaz

Forms

gaz m (invariable)^[1] First spelled gas (1670).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin gas, a word made up by the Flemish physician and chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont (1577–1644) after Latin chaos (“the confused mass of the elements”), from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos).^{[5][2][3][6][7]} Van Helmont wrote in Latin that he gave this spirit its new name not far from the chaos of the ancients.^[5][3] The ⟨g⟩ renders the Flemish pronunciation of ⟨ch⟩ as a fricative.^[5][2][3] Littré instead derived it from Flemish geest (“spirit”), and Scheler, tentatively, from German gäschen (“to ferment”);^[8] Wiktionary gives it as borrowed from Dutch gas.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears as gas in 1670, in a French translation of Van Helmont, for an invisible vapour or emanation, a subtle substance he thought united with bodies.^[5][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The modern sense, a fluid that expands to fill any space, dates from 1787 and spread with the work of Priestley and Lavoisier;^[5][2][3] gaz parfait is a physics term from 1868.^[2] Gas used for lighting and heating appears in 1826 in Balzac, with bec de gaz;^[5] gaz naturel dates from 1886.^[2] Slang éteindre son gaz meant “to die” (1867), and has disappeared.^[2]

In the plural, les gaz named gases in the digestive tract from 1825.^[5][2] The First World War gave gaz asphyxiants (1916), and chambre à gaz dates from about 1943.^[5][2] Gas mixture in engines gave à pleins gaz (1929) and mettre les gaz.^[2][5] In Canadian French gaz was used for petrol, after English gas from gasoline.^[2][1]

Timeline

• 1670 – Gas appears in a French translation of Van Helmont.^[5][3]
• 1787 – Féraud records the sense “aeriform fluid”.^[5]
• 1825 – Used of gases in the body.^[5]
• 1826 – Balzac uses it of lighting gas, with bec de gaz.^[5]
• 1867 – Slang éteindre son gaz “to die”.^[2]
• 1886 – Gaz naturel appears.^[2]
• 1916 – Barbusse writes of gaz asphyxiants.^[5]
• 1929 – Plein gaz is used in aviation.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (physics, chemistry) A gas, a substance in a state that expands to fill any space: un gaz rare.^[9][10]
2. Gas used as fuel for heating, cooking or lighting: une cuisinière à gaz.^[10][2]
3. A gas used as a weapon: gaz lacrymogène, chambre à gaz.^[10][1]
4. (in the plural) The fuel mixture of an engine: mettre les gaz “to speed up”, à pleins gaz “at full speed”.^[11][2]
5. (in the plural) Intestinal gas, flatulence: avoir des gaz.^[11][2]
6. (Canada, dated) Petrol, gasoline.^[1][2]

Word family

• gazeux
• gazéifier
• gazier
• gazéiforme
• gazer
• dégazer

Related words

• chaos

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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
6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 622b
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)