aucun

Pronunciation

• IPA: /o.kœ̃/^[1]
• IPA: /o.kœ̃.n‿/^[1]

Forms

aucun m (feminine aucune, masculine plural aucuns, feminine plural aucunes)^[1] Old French alcun (about 980), aucun from 1209, Anglo-Norman also ascun, alcon, akun.^[2][3][4] The spelling aulcun was used in the 16th century, though the ⟨l⟩ was not pronounced.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French alcun, inherited from Vulgar Latin *alicūnus (“someone”), formed from the stem of Latin aliquis (“someone”) and ūnus (“one”).^{[6][3][2][7][8]} It continues the Latin phrase “aliquem unum” “a certain one”, found in Varro.^[3] “Aliquis” is from alius (“other”) and quis (“who”).^[3] Diez suggested that old forms such as “alquen” might instead come from “aliquis” with “homo”.^[5]

Cognate with Italian alcuno, Occitan alcun, Catalan algun, Spanish alguno and Portuguese algum, which mostly kept the sense “some”.^[6][8][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as alcun at the end of the 10th century, with the positive sense “someone, some”.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Used with ne in negative sentences, the adjective took a negative value by 1000–1050, and aucun gradually came to mean “none, not any”, as Italian alcuno also did.^[3][6][8] The positive sense “some, someone” lasted until the 17th century; in the plural it was still common in Rabelais (les aucuns, 1532), and d'aucuns “some people” survives as an archaism.^[3][6][9] In questions and conditional clauses it keeps a positive sense in literary French: plus qu'aucun autre.^[10][11] The adverb aucunement went the same way, from “somewhat” to “in no way”.^[3][6]

Timeline

• c. 980 – Alcun, pronoun, “someone”.^[2]
• 1000–1050 – Negative use with ne.^[3]
• 12th century – Alcunement “in no way”.^[3]
• 1209 – The form aucun.^[2]
• 1532 – Les aucuns “some people” in Rabelais.^[3]

Meanings

Determiner

1. (with ne or sans) No, not any: il n'a aucun ami, sans aucun doute.^[10][1]
2. (literary, positive) Any: plus qu'aucun autre.^[11][10]

Pronoun

1. (with ne) None, not one: aucun n'est venu.^[1][10]
2. D'aucuns: some people (literary).^[9][6]

Related words

• aucunement
• un
• autre
• Latin aliquis

Usage notes

Before a vowel the ⟨n⟩ is linked: aucun ami /o.kœ̃.n‿a.mi/.^[2][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 24, 322b
8. ^ a b c Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)