cela

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sə.la/^[1]

Forms

cela n^[1] Çoula (13th–14th century), cela (1389); the contraction ça dates from the 17th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French ce + là.^[4][5][3][1] The pronoun ce comes from popular Latin “*ecce hoc” “behold this”, Old French iço, “ice”, “ço”; once “ce” had become unstressed, “cela” replaced it as the stressed pronoun, except in a few old phrases.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the 13th century as çoula “that, that thing”, often referring to what has just been said.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Cela is found in 1389, as a subject about 1450, and with a following clause in Molière (cela … que, 1668).^[2] It took over from ceci the role of pointing back to what has been said, while ceci came to announce what follows (1552); the two are paired to distinguish two things.^[3] Set phrases include avec tout cela “nevertheless” (1670), comme cela (before 1696), comment cela ? and à cela près (1835).^[2][3] Used of a person, it can express contempt (cela meurt de faim, Saint-Simon).^[7][5]

The contraction ça appeared in popular speech in the 17th century (coume ça, 1649) and later in writing; psychoanalysis used le ça (1946) to translate Freud's German Es.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 13th century – Çoula.^[2]
• 1389 – Cela.^[2]
• c. 1450 – Used as a subject.^[2]
• 1649 – Popular ça.^[2]
• 1670 – Avec tout cela in Molière.^[2]
• 1835 – Comment cela ? and à cela près in the Académie dictionary.^[2]
• 1946 – Le ça in psychoanalysis.^[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. That, as opposed to ceci: Laissez ceci et prenez cela.^[5][7]
2. That, it, referring to what has been said or what is present: Cela dit…, Buvez cela.^[5][7]
3. In phrases: comme cela, like that, comment cela ?, how so?, à cela près, apart from that.^[7][2]
4. (contemptuous) Of a person: that one.^[7][5]

Related words

• ça
• ceci
• ce
• là

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert