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Origin and history of solder

solder(v.)

"fix in place or mend by soldering, unite by metallic cement," a re-Latinizing, attested from early 15c. (soulder), of Middle English souden, sowden (mid-14c.), from the noun; see solder (n.). The modern spelling is by 1724. Related: Soldered; soldering.

also from early 15c.

solder(n.)

"fusible alloy for binding metal surfaces or joints," early 14c., souder, soudur, from Old French soldure, soudre, soudeure, from souder, sauldure, etc., originally solder, "to consolidate, close, fasten together, join with solder" (13c.), from Latin solidare "to make solid," from solidus "solid" (see solid (adj.)). Also in Middle English soude, from Old French soude.

The modern form in English is a re-Latinization from early 15c. The disappearance of Latin -l- in that position in Old French is regular, as poudre from pulverem, cou from collum, chaud from calidus. The -l- typically is sounded in British English but not in American, according to OED, but Fowler wrote that solder without the "l" was "The only pronunciation I have ever heard, except from the half-educated to whom spelling is a final court of appeal ..." and was perplexed by the OED's statement that it was American. Also compare sojer, colloquial pronunciation of soldier (n.). Related: Soldered; soldering.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to solder

soldier(n.)

c. 1300, souder, soudiour, "fighting man, one engaged in military service," from Old French soudier, soldier and Anglo-French variants, "one who serves in the army for pay," from Medieval Latin soldarius "a soldier" (source also of Spanish soldado, Italian soldato), literally "one having pay," from Late Latin soldum, extended sense of accusative of Latin solidus, name of a Roman gold coin, properly "coin of thick or solid metal," not of thin plate (see solid (adj.)).

The -l- has been regular in English since mid-14c., in imitation of Latin. But the old pronunciation persisted in 16c.-17c. spelling variants sojar, soger, sojour; colloquial sojer appears in print in U.S. Civil War (Willie and Joe always say sojer in the Bill Mauldin World War II cartoons).

Modern French soldat is borrowed from Italian and displaced the older French word; one of many military (and other) terms French picked up during the Italian Wars in early 16c.; such as alert, arsenal, colonel, infantrie, sentinel.

As "one who obeys the commands of and contends in the cause of another," mid-14c., originally especially in the language of faith. Figurative uses 18c.-19c. tended toward notions of "armored," "combative," and, of things and animals, "reddish," for the uniform color. Of ants or termites that take on combat roles, by 1781.

Old slang names for military men circa early 19c. include mud-crusher "infantryman," cat-shooter "volunteer," fly-slicer "cavalryman," jolly gravel-grinder "marine." Soldier boy is attested from 1861. Old soldier "one practiced or experienced" in anything is by 1722.

solid(adj.)

late 14c., "not empty or hollow, hardened;" of figures or bodies, "having three dimensions," from Old French solide "firm, dense, compact," from Latin solidus "firm, whole, undivided, entire," figuratively "sound, trustworthy, genuine," from suffixed form of PIE root *sol- "whole."

The meaning "firm, hard, compact" is from 1530s. Of arguments, etc., "substantial" (opposed to frivolous or flimsy). The meaning "entirely of the same stuff" is from 1710. Of qualities, "well-established, considerable" c. 1600. Of food from c. 1700.

As a mere intensifier, "thoroughly, downright," by 1830. The slang sense of "wonderful, remarkable" is attested by 1920 among jazz musicians.

As an adverb, "solidly, completely," 1650s. Solid South in U.S. political history is attested from 1858 on the notion of unanimity in voting; solid in this sense (in reference to New York) is by 1855. Solid state as a term in physics is recorded from 1953; the meaning "employing printed circuits and solid transistors" (as opposed to wires and vacuum tubes) is from 1959.

*sol-

also solə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "whole, well-kept."

It might form all or part of: catholic; consolidate; consolidation; holism; holo-; holocaust; Holocene; hologram; holograph; insouciant; safe; safety; sage (n.1) kind of herb; salubrious; salutary; salute; salvage; salvific; salvo "simultaneous discharge of guns;" save (v.) "deliver from danger;" save (prep.) "except;" solder; soldier; solemn; solicit; solicitous; solid; solidarity; solidity; sou.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit sarvah "uninjured, intact, whole;" Avestan haurva- "uninjured, intact;" Old Persian haruva-; Greek holos "whole;" Latin salvus "uninjured, in good health, safe," salus "good health," solidus "solid;" Armenian olj "whole, healthy."