solide

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sɔ.lid/^[1]

Forms

solide (plural solides)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin solidus (“dense, massive, firm; whole”),^[2][3][4][5] which belongs to an Indo-European root expressing the idea of “whole, entire”, like Ancient Greek ὅλος (hólos, “whole”) and Latin salvus (see sauf).^[3][4] Littré noted that the inherited Old French form was “soude”, and that “solide” was remade on Latin in the 16th century.^[6] The same Latin word gave sou, of which “solide” is a doublet.^[1][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Henri de Mondeville's Chirurgie (1314) has it in the sense “hard, firm”;^[2][3] the word seems rare until the 16th century.^[3]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century it described what has firm consistency (viande solide, 1531), a three-dimensional body (1546) and, abstractly, what is real and lasting: Marot's solide memoire (1544), Montaigne's solide jugement and livre solide (1580).^[2][3][6] In 1613 the noun solide was a geometric solid, and, from 1636 the adjective meant “able to resist, sturdy” (une couleur solide, 1842).^[2][3][8] Of persons it meant “reliable, steady” (Retz, 1669), and, from the 19th century “sturdy, strong” (Balzac, 1846, avoir les reins solides).^[2][3]

The noun le solide meant material advantages, money, in 1661 (Racine), and c'est du solide “it's the real thing” (1725).^[2][3] Familiar phrases include solide au poste (1808) and the intensive un solide appétit (1857).^[2][3] In climbing être solide is to be securely belayed (1889).^[9]

Timeline

• 1314 – Solide in Henri de Mondeville.^[2]
• 1531 – Of food.^[2]
• 1544 – Solide memoire in Marot.^[2]
• 1572 – Solidification.^[4]
• 1580 – Solide jugement in Montaigne.^[2]
• 1613 – A geometric solid.^[2]
• 1661 – Le solide “money”, in Racine.^[2]
• 1808 – Solide au poste.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Solid (not liquid or gaseous): état solide, aliments solides.^[7][2]
2. Sturdy, strong, robust: un meuble solide, un homme solide.^[1][8]
3. Sound, well-founded: des arguments solides, de solides connaissances.^[1][8]
4. Reliable, steady: un ami solide.^[2][8]
5. (familiar) Hearty, hefty: un solide appétit.^[2][3]

Noun

1. (physics, geometry) A solid.^[10][1]
2. C'est du solide: it's solid, the real thing.^[10][2]

Adverb

1. Solidly: construire solide.^[10]

Word family

• solidement
• solidité
• solidifier
• consolider

Related words

• sou
• solde
• solidaire
• Latin solidus
• English solid

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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 i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 53b
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)