Etymologically
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également

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.ɡal.mɑ̃/[1]

Forms

également[1] Old French egalment (about 1150).[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French égal + -ment.[2][1][3] égal (⟨igal⟩ about 1150, ⟨egal⟩ about 1160) remade, after Latin aequālis (“equal”), the popular Old French forms uel, oel and evel (about 1119), which had developed from the same Latin word;[4] the Latin adjective is formed on aequus (“level, even”).[4]

Compare Old Occitan egalmen, Spanish igualmente and Italian egualmente.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Charroi de Nîmes (about 1150) has egalment “in an equal way”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The sense “also, in addition” is recorded in 1797, in the account of La Pérouse's voyage;[2] the Petit Robert dates it to the 19th century.[6] The older sense survives in formal style, as in the Declaration of the Rights of Man: Tous les citoyens sont également admissibles à toutes dignités.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1150 – Egalment in the Charroi de Nîmes.[2]
  • 1694 – Recorded by the Académie.[2]
  • 1797 – “Also, in addition”.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Equally, in the same way, to the same degree: aimer également ses enfants.[6][1]
  2. Also, too, as well: Vous pouvez également prendre ce chemin.[6][1]

Usage notes

Littré also records a noun également, “equalization”, formed on égaler and used in 16th-century customary law for the sharing out of rents.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert