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métallique

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Etymology and origin of the French word métallique

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1500 Petit traicté d'alchymie More words from the 15th century
Borrowed from
Latin metallicus
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek μέταλλον
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon)
Latin metallum
French métal
Romanian metal
Latin metallicus
English metallic
French métallique
The word's journey

Pronunciation

Forms

métallique (plural métalliques)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin metallicus (“of metal”), which is from Ancient Greek μεταλλικός (metallikós, “of mines, metallic”), from μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, metal”), the source of métal.[2][3][4][5] It replaced the older French derivative métallin, recorded from the 14th to the 16th century for “having the colour of metal”.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records are from alchemy: a treatise of the 15th or 16th century speaks of a sulphur “de nature metallique”, and Jean Lemaire de Belges uses the word in 1504–1505.[2][6][4]

Semantic evolution

Beside its first sense, “of the nature of metal”, the adjective took the values “made of metal” and “that recalls metal”.[4] Furetière (1690) has corps métalliques for the metals and their ores.[3] By metonymy it formerly meant “relating to medals”: an histoire métallique (Trévoux, 1704) was a history told through medals.[3][4][6]

The sense “having the colour or sheen of metal” was recorded by the Académie's supplement in 1842 and by Littré,[2] and Balzac uses it of sounds that seem to come from metal (before 1850).[3] The adverb métalliquement is first found in 1828, of payment in coin.[2]

Timeline

  • 15th–16th century – It appears in an alchemical treatise.[2][6]
  • 1504–1505 – Jean Lemaire de Belges uses it in the Couronne margaritique.[2]
  • 1690 – Furetière records corps métalliques.[3]
  • 1704 – The Trévoux dictionary records histoire métallique, a history told through medals.[3]
  • 1828 – The adverb métalliquement is first recorded.[2]
  • 1842 – The Académie's supplement records the sense “having a metallic tint”.[2]
  • before 1850 – Balzac uses it of a sound or voice.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Made of metal: charpente métallique, fil métallique, for example Une passerelle métallique enjambe la voie.[7][2]
  2. Of money: in coin, as opposed to paper: monnaie métallique.[7]
  3. Having the look or sheen of metal: reflet métallique, bleu métallique.[7][8]
  4. Sounding like struck metal: un bruit métallique, une voix métallique.[7][3]
  5. (chemistry) Relating to the metals, having their properties.[2][6]

Word family

  • métalliquement

References

  1. ^ a b 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 55b
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Métallique.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/m%C3%A9tallique. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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