laineux

Forms

laineux (feminine laineuse, masculine plural laineux, feminine plural laineuses)^[1] First written laneux; the spelling laineux is in Ronsard (1587) and in the Académie's dictionary of 1694.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French laine + -eux.^[2][5][4][6] The GLLF also allows a borrowing of Latin lānōsus (“woolly”), and Wiktionary derives it from that adjective,^[3][1] which Littré gives as its source beside Old Occitan lanos, Italian lanoso and Spanish lanoso.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1500 as laneux in the Jardin de santé, in feuilles velues et laneuses “hairy, woolly leaves”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Rey sees it as continuing in meaning the Old French lanu (13th century), which disappeared in the 17th century.^[9] After the woolly leaves of about 1500, Ronsard used it of a ram's flock in 1587, of animals covered in wool.^[2][10] Furetière (1690) records it of a cloth well furnished with wool,^[2][3] and Buffon (1774–1779) used it of the tightly curled hair of people.^[2][9] Cotgrave records the phrase marcher avec les pieds laineux “to walk slowly”.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1500 – Laneuses in the Jardin de santé, of hairy leaves.^[2]
• 1587 – Ronsard uses laineuse of a flock of sheep.^[2][10]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records marcher avec les pieds laineux.^[7]
• 1690 – Furetière records it of a cloth rich in wool.^[2][3]
• 1694 – The Académie spells it laineux.^[3][4]
• 1774–1779 – Buffon uses it of curled hair.^[2][9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Covered with thick laine, woolly: un bélier laineux.^[6][2]
2. Of a cloth: made of wool or rich in wool, woollen.^[6][3]
3. (botany) Covered with soft hairs or down, said of a plant or stem.^[6][7]
4. Looking or feeling like wool: des cheveux laineux.^[6][9]
5. In the names of animals: mammouth laineux, rhinocéros laineux.^[1][2]

Related words

• laine
• lainage
• Latin lānōsus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF