frais French · revision 17201

+ French has two words spelled ''frais'': the adjective “fresh, cool”, of Germanic origin, and the plural noun “costs”, from Latin ''frāctum'' “something broken”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|fresh, cool}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (fresche)|origins=frk *frisk}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fʁɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''frais''' (feminine fraîche or fraiche, masculine plural frais, feminine plural fraîches or fraiches)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''freis'', ''frois'', feminine ''fresche'', ''frais'', ''fraische'' from the 14th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ The Académie wrote the feminine ''fraische'' in 1694 and 1718.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[inh|fro|freis]], [[bor|frk|*frisk|t=fresh]], a Germanic word used of temperature and figuratively of what is recent or unwithered.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|15/2, 173a) The TLFi calls it West Germanic and compares [[goh|frisc]], [[gmh|vrisch]] and [[de|frisch]], Wiktionary goes through a Vulgar Latin “*friscum”.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary) Since the figurative senses are found in all its descendants, Bloch and Wartburg conclude that they go back to the Germanic word itself.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The feminine “fraîche” keeps the /k/ of “*friska” before ⟨a⟩, changed to /ʃ/, while the final /k/ of the masculine was lost.^(TLFi) Littré noted that the ⟨s⟩ rules out any link with [[la|frīgus|t=cold]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|fresco]], [[es|fresco]], [[pro|fresc]] and [[en|fresh]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) [[fresque]] is a doublet borrowed from Italian.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' (about 1100) ''fresche herbe'' is fresh, unspoiled grass, Rashi's glosses (late 11th century) already have ''fresc'' for wine just drawn from the cask.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the first texts it meant fresh, not spoiled, of food, and about 1160 meat neither salted nor smoked; hence what is recent: news, a wound, a memory (about 1355), ''de frais'' “newly” (1552, ''rasé de frais''), wet paint (1643) and ''argent frais'' “new funds” (1563).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Of people and flowers it meant vigorous, blooming (1155–65), and of a complexion or a laugh, youthful.^(DHLF 1992) Ironically ''nous voilà frais !'' means “we're in a fine mess” (1808; earlier in 1799).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ The sense “slightly cold” is found about 1200, ''il fait frais'' in Froissart, the noun ''le frais'' “cool air” in Du Bellay (1549), and ''prendre le frais'' in 1660.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Mettre au frais'' was slang for “to put in prison” (1685).^(DHLF 1992) At sea ''vent frais'' is a strong, favourable wind (Amyot, 1559).^(TLFi) Figuratively it means unfriendly, cool (''un accueil frais''); in Quebec a ''frais'' person is cheeky, conceited.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 11th century – ''Fresc'' in Rashi's glosses.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Fresche herbe'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1155 – Of renewed strength, Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1200 – “Slightly cold”, ''Aiol''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1393 – Adverb “newly”: ''fresches tuées''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1549 – ''Le frais'', cool air, Du Bellay.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Vent frais'', Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 1660 – ''Prendre le frais''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1808 – Ironic ''être frais''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|cool]], slightly cold; pleasantly cold: ''un vent frais'', ''de l'eau fraîche''.^(Le Robert)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # [[m|en|fresh]], recently produced, not spoiled or preserved: ''œufs frais'', ''pain frais'', ''légumes frais''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Recent, new: ''une nouvelle fraîche''; wet: ''peinture fraîche'', ''argent frais''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ # Fresh, rested, vigorous; youthful: ''frais et dispos'', ''un teint frais''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Cool, unfriendly: ''un accueil plutôt frais''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(familiar, ironic)'' In a fix: ''nous voilà frais !''.^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Coolly: ''il fait frais'', ''boire frais''.^(Le Robert)^(TLFi)

+ # Newly, freshly: ''frais émoulu'', ''frais cueilli''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Le frais'': cool air, the cool: ''prendre le frais'', ''mettre au frais''.^(Larousse)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(nautical)'' A strong breeze: ''grand frais''.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fraîche]]

+ * [[fraîchement]]

+ * [[fraîcheur]]

+ * [[fraîchir]]

+ * [[rafraîchir]]

+ * [[défraîchir]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|costs}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1283, Beaumanoir (fres)|origins=la frangō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fʁɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''frais''' ''m pl'' (plural only)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''fres'' (about 1283), plural of ''frait'', ''fret'', ''frais'' about 1330.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[inh|fro|frait]], also “fret”, used in the plural; it continues [[inh|la|frāctum|t=something broken]], the neuter of [[m|la|frāctus|t=broken]], the past participle of [[m|la|frangō|t=to break]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|3, 755b) The first sense of “fret” (1266) was damage caused by breaking something, from the phrase “paier le fret” “to pay for the breakage”, whence the cost of repairing it.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873) The singular “frait” “expense” is implied by the verb “fraier” “to bear the costs” (1260), source of [[défrayer]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) Littré considered and rejected [[la-med|fredum|t=a fine for breach of the peace]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Beaumanoir's ''Coutumes de Beauvaisis'' (about 1283) has the plural ''fres'' for the expenses caused by an affair; the Anglo-Norman ''fres'' “expenses, costs” is found in 1296–97.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(AND)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French the singular was still often used.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Furetière (1690) records ''faux frais'' and ''frais et loyaux coûts'', ''frais généraux'' is found before 1865 (Proudhon), and ''frais de représentation'' in 1890.^(GLLF 1989) Legal costs, ''frais de justice'', are recorded in 1872.^(GLLF 1989) Figurative phrases include ''faire les frais de'' something, ''en être pour ses frais'', ''se mettre en frais'' and ''arrêter les frais'' (1867).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1260 – The verb ''fraier'', to bear the costs.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1266 – ''Fret'', damage from breakage.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1283 – ''Fres'', expenses, Beaumanoir.^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1330 – The spelling ''frais''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1373 – ''Défrayer''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1690 – ''Faux frais''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1867 – ''Arrêter les frais''.^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(plural)'' Costs, [[m|en|expense|alt=expenses]]: ''frais de déplacement'', ''tous frais payés'', ''partager les frais''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(Larousse)

+ # An allowance for expenses: ''frais de mission'', ''note de frais''.^(Larousse)

+ # ''(law)'' Costs of proceedings: ''frais de justice''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''À mes frais'', at my expense, ''aux frais de'', ''à grands frais'', ''faux frais'', incidental expenses.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # In phrases: ''faire les frais de'', to bear the brunt of, ''en être pour ses frais'', to have wasted one's effort, ''arrêter les frais'', to call it a day.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[défrayer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[froid]]

+ * [[fresque]]

+ * [[frisquet]]

+ * [[en|fresh]]

+ * [[fracture]]

+ * [[fragile]]

+ * [[enfreindre]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}