I'm going through the engineering text Application des potentiels a l'étude de l'équilibre et du mouvement des solides élastiques by J. Boussinesq, which was published in 1885. In my reading, I am stuck in trying to figure out the correct meaning of the adjective propre. Please consider the following excerpts.
On peut se poser, relativement à l'équilibre des solides élastiques, deux sortes de problèmes fondamentaux, c'est-à-dire propres à faire comprendre de quelle manière se comporte un corps quand il se déforme pour résister à certaines actions extérieures. (p. 15)
Il n'en est vraisemblablement pas qui soient plus propres à nous faire connaître de quelle manière, dans les solides en équilibre, les pressions ou autres efforts extérieurs se transmettent, soit de la surface à l'intérieur -- ce qui est le cas du premier problème... (p. 18)
...et, d'autre part, ils deviennent inversement proportionnels à la distance pour les points très éloignés, ce qui, dans les milieu indéfinis, les rend également propres à exprimer les conditions dites aux limites... (p. 20)
...le principal des termes qui expriment l'action propre de ces modes est en raison inverse du cube de la distance. (p. 25)
My French dictionary (published 1897 in Montréal, and thus seemingly in keeping with any archaic definitions that might not be used nowadays) has the following definition:
Using Google Translate, it comes up with the following translations:
Considering all of this, the best English meaning that I can come up with in this context is "proper" or "appropriate." Thus, the excerpts above, roughly translated, would be:
One may posit, with respect to the equilibrium of elastic solids, two types of fundamental problems, that is to say appropriate to understanding how a body behaves when it deforms to resist certain external actions.
But it is unlikely that they are appropriate to make known in what manner, in solids in equilibrium, the pressures and other external forces are transmitted, from the surface to the interior - which is the case of the first problem...
...and, secondly, they become inversely proportional to the distance for very distant points, which, in the undefined medium, also makes them appropriate for expressing said boundary conditions...
...the principal terms that express the proper action of these modes is inversely proportional to the cube of the distance.
Is this the correct meaning of propre, given the context?
(English is my native language, and I am attempting to learn French as a hobby. Languages are fun!)
