autant

Pronunciation

• IPA: /o.tɑ̃/^[1]

Forms

autant^[1] Old French altant (about 1170–1190), autant (about 1180); it replaced Old French altretant (1080).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *al tantu, from earlier “*aliud tantum”, a popular form of classical “alterum tantum” “as much again”, from Latin alius (“other”) (or alter) and tantum (“so much”).^[2][1][3][4] Old French “altretant”, with Italian altrettanto, continues “alterum tantum”.^[1][5] The same pattern gave aussi.^[6]

Compare Occitan atretan, Catalan altretant, Spanish otro tanto and Portuguese outro tanto.^[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1170 as altant, at first as an adjective (12th–14th centuries), and as an adverb from about 1180.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Many uses appeared in the 16th century: autant… autant, d'autant and d'autant que (1532), pour autant que and d'autant plus que (Montaigne).^[2] Autant comme autant meant “in equal amounts” (1690) and survived in familiar use for “as the case may be”; in central and western France it means “enormously”.^[2] Autant + infinitive, “might as well”, is common: autant partir tout de suite.^[1]

Timeline

• 1080 – The older altretant.^[2]
• c. 1170 – Altant.^[7][2]
• c. 1180 – Autant as an adverb.^[2]
• 1532 – D'autant que.^[2]
• 16th century – D'autant plus que, in Montaigne.^[2]
• 1690 – Autant comme autant.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. As much, as many: autant que vous, autant de livres que.^[1][5]
2. So much, so many: je ne pensais pas qu'il y en aurait autant.^[1]
3. Autant + infinitive: might as well: autant rester ici.^[1]
4. D'autant plus que: all the more as, pour autant: for all that.^[2]
5. Aimer autant: to prefer, would just as soon.^[2]

Related words

• tant
• autre
• aussi
• pourtant
• Latin tantum

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c 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. 13/1, 88b
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France