Etymologically
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aussi

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Pronunciation

Forms

aussi[1] Old French alsi (early 12th century), ausi, ossi.[2][1] Ausins is found about 1160.[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French alsi, inherited from Vulgar Latin *ale sīc, from “*ale”, a popular remaking of alid (“something else”), and sīc (“so, thus”).[2][4][5][1][6] Rey allows that it may instead have been formed in French from the old pronoun al (“something else”) (from “*ale”) and si (from “sīc”).[3] Wiktionary suggests it is probably a calque of Frankish *allswā (“likewise”).[1] It eliminated the parallel compound altresi, “autresi” “likewise”, which seems at first to have been more common.[3][4] Littré took the old forms “altresi”, “alsi” to show an origin “alterum sic”, “aliud sic”.[7]

The same compound is found only in Romansh “aschi”; compare Italian altresì.[4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Alsi is first found at the beginning of the 12th century; the phrase alsi… cum (aussi… comme) meant “in the same way as” in the first half of the century.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The first uses differ from modern ones: aussi… comme, later replaced by aussi bien que (17th century), meant “in the same way as”, and at the head of a sentence ausins (about 1160) meant “thus”.[3] In negative sentences ausi meant “neither” (about 1170, Chrétien de Troyes), while its use in affirmative sentences, “also”, from the same time, is still alive.[3] Aussi + adjective + que (osi que, about 1270) replaced autant que in comparisons.[3] The Middle French uses “moreover, likewise” (mid-15th century) and aussi bien “besides” have lasted, and in literary use aussi at the head of a clause, with inversion, means “therefore”.[3][1][5]

Timeline

  • early 12th century – Alsi.[2]
  • c. 1160 – Ausins “thus”.[3]
  • c. 1170 – Ausi “also”, and “neither” after a negative, in Chrétien de Troyes.[3]
  • c. 1270 – Osi que in comparisons.[3]
  • mid-15th century – “Moreover, likewise”.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. too, also, as well: moi aussi.[1][5]
  2. As (in comparisons of equality): aussi grand que vous.[8][1]
  3. So, such: je n'ai rien vu d'aussi joli.[8]
  4. Aussi bien que: as well as.[8][3]

Conjunction

  1. (literary) So, therefore, with inversion: aussi est-il parti.[1][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 576a
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert