raffinerie

Forms

raffinerie f (plural raffineries)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French raffiner + -erie.^[2][1][3] The verb is itself formed from the prefix re- and affiner.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, from 1666, speaks of the French settling their sugar works and refineries in Guiana.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It belongs to the concrete sense of raffiner, “to free a substance from its impurities”, together with raffinage and raffineur (both 1611).^[4] At first used of sugar refining, it was applied to petroleum much later: raffinerie de pétrole is recorded in 1890.^[2][4] Littré defines it as a place where something is refined, particularly sugar.^[5] The TLFi also notes a rare use for the refining industry or work itself.^[2]

Timeline

• 1666 – First recorded, of sugar refineries in Guiana.^[2][3]
• 1890 – Raffinerie de pétrole appears in a supplement to Larousse's dictionary.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A refinery, a plant where a substance is refined: raffinerie de sucre, raffinerie de pétrole.^[6][7][3]
2. (rare) The refining industry or process.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)