fer French · revision 17039

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la ferrum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɛʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fer''' ''m'' (plural fers)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|ferrum|t=iron; sword; iron object; chains]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|3, 470b) The Latin word is of unknown origin: ironworking reached the Indo-European area late, after bronze, and the names of the metal differ from one language to another; some suppose a borrowing from Etruscan.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|fier]], [[it|ferro]], [[oc|fèrre]], [[ca|ferro]], [[es|hierro]] and [[pt|ferro]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century) uses it for a sword; the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) has it for the iron head of a weapon and for the metal itself.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Following Latin, ''les fers'' were a prisoner's chains (1174–1187, Chrétien de Troyes), and figuratively slavery (1552, Ronsard).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Chrétien's ''Chevalier au lion'' (1176–1181) has it for a horseshoe, later ''fer à cheval'', and, from the second half of the 13th century it named tools of iron or other metal; the smoothing iron is ''fer à unir le linge'' in 1660, later ''fer à repasser''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''De fer'' “very strong” is in Guillaume de Lorris (1225–1230), later “unshakeable”, as in ''une santé de fer'' and ''main de fer''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The proverb ''battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud'' is found in the 14th century.^(Littré 1873) Golf took it up for an iron club (1933).^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 10th century – “Sword”, ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – The metal; the iron of a weapon, ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1174–1187 – ''Fers'' “chains”, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176–1181 – A horseshoe.^(TLFi)

+ * 1225–1230 – ''De fer'' “very strong”, Guillaume de Lorris.^(TLFi)

+ * 1279 – ''Bestes de fer'', a legal term.^(TLFi)

+ * 1660 – A smoothing iron.^(TLFi)

+ * 1933 – A golf club.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|iron]], the metal: ''minerai de fer'', ''fil de fer'', ''(figurative)'' ''de fer'', very strong, unbending: ''une santé de fer'', ''une main de fer''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # The iron part of a tool or weapon: ''fer de lance'', ''croiser le fer'', to fence, cross swords.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|horseshoe]]: ''fer à cheval''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An iron, a heated tool: ''fer à repasser'', ''fer à souder'', ''fer à friser''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(plural, literary)'' Chains, fetters; captivity: ''être dans les fers''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(golf)'' An iron.^(Wiktionary)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ferraille]]

+ * [[ferrailler]]

+ * [[ferret]]

+ * [[ferronnerie]]

+ * [[fer-blanc]]

+ * [[ferrer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ferreux]]

+ * [[ferroviaire]]

+ * [[la|ferrum]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In old law ''bêtes de fer'' or ''cheptel de fer'' (1279) was livestock that a tenant had to return in full at the end of the lease; the Grand Robert takes it as probably the same word by an obscure change of sense, and the TLFi compares the Mishnaic Hebrew ''ṣon barzel'' “iron flock” and Middle Low German ''îser(e)nkô'' “iron cow”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005) Littré thought instead of Latin ''firmus''.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}