English
froideur
Froideur comes from French froideur ‘coldness, cold’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sríHgos.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sríHgos‘cold, frost’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*srīgosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrīgus‘cold, coldness, coolness, chilliness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrīgeō‘to be cold or chilly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrīgidus‘cold, cool, chilling, frigid’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400freid‘cold’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400froit‘cold’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘cold’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentfroid‘cold (temperature)’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentfroideur‘coldness, cold’literally ‘coldness’
- Englishearliest quotation 2001same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sríHgos‘cold, frost’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*srīgosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrīgus‘cold, coldness, coolness, chilliness’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrīgeō‘to be cold or chilly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrīgidus‘cold, cool, chilling, frigid’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400freid‘cold’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400froit‘cold’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘cold’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentfroid‘cold (temperature)’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentfroideur‘coldness, cold’literally ‘coldness’
- Englishearliest quotation 2001same form
Earliest quotation: 2001, Ron Chernow, The House of Morgan: “There was a froideur between the Bank of England…”
The story
Borrowed from French froideur (literally “coldness”).
Linked words
through Latin frīgus ‘cold, coldness, coolness, chilliness’
refrigeration, refrigerant, 9 more
through Latin frīgeō ‘to be cold or chilly’
through Latin frīgidus ‘cold, cool, chilling, frigid’
Today it means
noun A cold or indifferent manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sríHgos / froideur