Etymologically
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ça

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sa/[1]
  • IPA (Canada): [sɑ][1]
  • IPA (Canada): [sɔ][1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): /sa/[1]

Forms

ça n[1]

Etymology

It is a shortened form of cela, influenced by the adverb of place çà “here”.[2][3][1] “Cela” itself is a compound of ce and là, first found as “çoula” in the 13th century and as “cela” in 1389; it was pronounced with the “l” dropped, which gave [sa].[4][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ça is first recorded in 1649, in a popular text, the Agréable conférence de deux païsans de Saint-Ouen, which also has coume ça “like that”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The word belonged at first to popular speech.[4] La Fontaine used it in 1661, and the Académie recorded it in 1878.[6][4] It is now the usual familiar form of cela and ceci, in phrases such as ça va, ça y est and comme ça.[3][1] It can stand for an indefinite subject (ça bouge, ça sent bon) and, with contempt or affection, for people (ces vieux, ça n'a qu'une goutte de sang).[6][3] It strengthens questions (qui ça ?, où ça ?).[6][1]

In 1926 le ça was used to translate Freud's Es (1923), the unconscious drives, beside le moi and le surmoi; it had first been rendered le soi.[2][3]

Timeline

  • 13th century – Çoula, the ancestor of cela.[4]
  • 1389 – Cela.[4]
  • 1649 – Ça in a popular text.[4][2]
  • 1661 – Ça in La Fontaine.[6]
  • 1878 – The Académie records ça.[4]
  • 1926 – Le ça in psychoanalysis.[2]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. (familiar) That, this, it: donne-moi ça, ça dépend.[3][1]
  2. It: an indefinite subject: ça va ?, ça sent bon.[6][1]
  3. Strengthens a question word: qui ça ?, quand ça ?.[6][1]
  4. (familiar, often derogatory) Used of people: ça bavardait.[3][6]
  5. C'est ça: that's right.[3][6]

Noun

  1. (psychoanalysis) The id: le ça, le moi et le surmoi.[3][2]

Usage notes

Ça is written without an accent, unlike the adverb çà “here”, now used only in çà et là and or çà.[5][2] In Belgium ça est is used for c'est.[3] In Louisiana French ça is also a personal pronoun, “he, she, they”.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse