La fourrure dans l'habillement professionnel: le parcours terminologique d'un métier

Sumerians and Egyptians used to recognize the sacred and religious character of fur. Over the centuries, fur was privilege only of queens and kings; in some cases, it represented some specific political functions or was identified with some typical professional roles, namely, the ermine for the judge, or for the academician. A diachronic analysis of terminology related to 'fur' in French language and culture highlights on the one hand the links between the product itself and its trading issues, on the other hand the world of 'fur' and anything which is related to its producers; moreover, it focuses on the symbolic role of fur in professional clothing. A linguistic insight is given as a background for exploring cross-cultural habits and the history of an ancient craftsmanship once illustrated by French Encyclopédie.