Etymologically
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ah

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Pronunciation

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French a, inherited from Latin ah (“ah!”), an expressive word.[2][3][1][4] Latin “ah” (or “a”) is found from Plautus onward, both for strong feelings and to add force to a sentence; the form aha is also in Plautus.[2] Bloch and Wartburg simply call it an onomatopoeia.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the mid-11th century the Vie de saint Alexis uses a to express grief: A las pechables “ah, wretched sinners”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Chrétien de Troyes uses it for admiration (Ha, dame, or dites vos mout bien, 1177) and for surprise (1177–79); doubled, it expressed indignation by 1217.[2] As a mere intensifier opening a sentence it is found in Racine (1667).[2] Molière made it a noun in 1666, in Le Misanthrope: des ahs.[2] Doubled, ah ! ah ! also transcribes laughter.[6]

Timeline

  • Mid-11th century – A in the Vie de saint Alexis.[2]
  • 1177 – Ha for admiration in Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain.[2]
  • 1217 – Ha ! Ha ! for indignation in Gautier de Coinci.[2]
  • 16th century – The spelling ah.[3]
  • 1666 – The noun des ahs in Molière.[2]
  • 1667 – Used for emphasis in Racine's Andromaque.[2]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. Ah!, expressing a strong feeling: joy, pain, admiration, impatience.[6][7]
  2. For emphasis: Ah ! j'y pense, pouvez-vous venir demain ?[6]
  3. Doubled, ah ! ah !: surprise or perplexity; also laughter.[6][7]
  4. In set phrases: ah bon !, ah oui ?, ah mais ![6]

Noun

  1. Des oh ! et des ah !: exclamations.[6]
  • ha
  • aha

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 1a
  5. ^ 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 Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)