liquide

Forms

liquide (plural liquides)^[1] Anglo-Norman liquid, from about 1300.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin liquidus (“clear, limpid, flowing”), first recorded about 1265.^[3][4][5][6] The Latin adjective comes from liqueō (“to be clear or liquid”), and Rey thinks the idea of clearness came before that of fluidity, which dominates in liquō (“to filter, to melt”).^[4][7] The phonetic term (1392) was taken from imperial Latin liquidae (litterae) (“liquid letters”).^[3][4]

The financial sense (1539) is a borrowing from Italian liquido, which had acquired it in the 15th century.^[3][4][8] The TLFi gives this sense a headword of its own, while Rey treats it as a specialized use of the same word.^[3][4]

The same Latin word gave Old Occitan liquid and Spanish líquido.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears about 1265 in Brunet Latin's Trésor, meaning “that flows or tends to flow”.^[3][7]

Semantic evolution

The adjective soon also meant “thin, of little consistency” (1690, Furetière), while the Latin senses “limpid” (1509) and, figuratively, “clear, evident” (1540) did not survive the 18th century.^[3][4] In classical poetry la plaine liquide was the sea (1677, Racine).^[7][9]

The financial sense began in law, for goods free of any dispute or debt (biens liquides, 1539), and spread through jocular uses (1634) to everyday speech, where argent liquide is ready cash.^[3][4] The noun followed the adjective: le liquide was the quality of being liquid (1549, Du Bellay), then a liquid body (1695), liquid food (1762), the fluids of the body (1808), ready money (1651), drink (1672) and, in popular speech, wine (1828).^[3][4]

Timeline

• c. 1265 – Brunet Latin uses it of what flows.^[3]
• 1392 – Eustache Deschamps uses it for the consonants such as l and r.^[3][9]
• 1539 – Biens liquides “undisputed goods” in a will.^[3]
• 1549 – Du Bellay uses le liquide as a noun.^[3][9]
• 1651 – Scarron uses the noun for disposable income.^[3]
• 1690 – Furetière records the sense “thin, runny”.^[3][7]
• 1695 – The noun names a liquid substance.^[3]
• 1808 – It is used of the fluids of the body.^[3][4]
• 1828 – Vidocq uses it for drink.^[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. liquid, that flows or tends to flow: l'état liquide.^[8][3][1]
2. Thin, runny: Cette pâte est trop liquide.^[8][7]
3. (phonetics) Of the consonants l and r: consonnes liquides.^[8][3]
4. (finance) Exactly fixed in amount: dette liquide.^[8][3]
5. Immediately available, of money: argent liquide “cash”.^[8][1]

Noun

1. A liquid, a substance that flows.^[8][1]
2. cash: payer en liquide.^[8][1]
3. (phonetics, feminine) A liquid consonant.^[8][1]

Word family

• liquidement
• liquidien

Related words

• liqueur
• liquidité
• liquider
• Latin liquidus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 371a
7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette