inflammable

Forms

inflammable (plural inflammables)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned formation from Latin īnflammō (“to set on fire”) with the suffix -able.^[2][3][4] Rey and the TLFi think that Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, recorded about 1227, may have been its model.^[3][2] Wiktionary instead derives it from Middle French inflammer with the same suffix,^[1] a verb that the TLFi records from 1545.^[2] The Latin verb is formed from in- and flammō (“to set alight”), itself from flamma (“flame”);^[5] its inherited outcome is enflammer.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is from about 1390, soufre inflammable in Evrart de Conti's Problèmes d'Aristote (in a 15th-century manuscript);^[2] Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1503.^[6]

Semantic evolution

At first it was used in its literal sense, of what catches fire easily and burns quickly;^[3][2] air inflammable was the 18th-century name for hydrogen, recorded in 1780.^[3][7]

Féraud recorded the figurative sense, of a character quick to anger or passion, in 1787 (zèle inflammable, caractère inflammable).^[2][3][5]

Timeline

• c. 1227 – Medieval Latin inflammabilis is recorded.^[2][3]
• c. 1390 – Soufre inflammable appears in Evrart de Conti.^[2][3]
• 1641 – The derivative inflammabilité is used in its literal sense.^[3]
• 1780 – Air inflammable is recorded.^[3]
• 1785 – Ininflammable is taken up again.^[3]
• 1787 – Féraud records the figurative sense.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That catches fire easily and burns quickly with a flame, flammable: le butane est un gaz inflammable.^{[8][9][2][10]}
2. (figurative) Quick to take fire with anger or passion: un tempérament inflammable.^[5][10][7]

Word family

• inflammabilité
• ininflammable

Related words

• inflammation
• enflammer
• flamme
• Latin īnflammō

Usage notes

Its opposite is ininflammable.^[8][3]

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 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 e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)