silice

Forms

silice f (plural silices)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin silex (“flint, pebble”), a learned formation on its stem ⟨silic-⟩.^[2][3][4][5] The DHLF allows either a borrowing of siliceus (“of flint”) or a direct derivation from the noun;^[6] the FEW files it under the adjective.^[7] It was coined by the chemist Guyton de Morveau in 1787.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Guyton de Morveau introduced it in 1787, in the Nomenclature chimique, for the hard substance at the base of flint and quartz.^[2][8][6]

Semantic evolution

Chemistry and mineralogy used it for a hard substance common in natural minerals, later identified as the oxide of an element, which was named silicium.^[6] Littré describes it as the substance of flint and quartz, which, as sand, combines with lime to form a strong mortar.^[9] Verre de silice “silica glass” is recorded from 1844,^[2] and the GLLF dates the sense “fused silica” from 1964.^[8]

The adjective siliceux (1780) is older than the noun; silicium followed, recorded in French in 1816 after Berzelius named the element in 1809, and gave silicone.^[6][3]

Timeline

• 1787 – Guyton de Morveau introduces silice in the Nomenclature chimique.^[2][4]
• 1816 – Silicium is recorded in French.^[6]
• 1844 – Alexandre Brongniart uses verres de silice.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. silica, silicon dioxide (SiO₂), a very hard solid, very common in nature as quartz, rock crystal and flint.^[10][2][11]
2. Silice fondue, verre de silice: non-crystalline silica obtained by melting quartz, used for optical and laboratory instruments.^[8][10]
3. Gel de silice: a very porous form of silica, used to absorb moisture.^[5]

Word family

• siliceux
• silicique
• silicium
• silicose

Related words

• silex

Usage notes

Silice is a homophone of cilice “hair shirt”.^[10][11]

References

1. ^ a b 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
6. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 613b
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)