celui-ci

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sə.lɥi.si/^[1]

Forms

celui-ci m (feminine celle-ci, masculine plural ceux-ci, feminine plural celles-ci)^[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from French celui + -ci, formed in the 14th century (1372) with the adverbial particle of ici;^[2][1][3][4] celui-là followed in the 15th century, or in the 13th according to the Petit Robert.^[2][5] Bloch and Wartburg explain that these compounds were created to make up for the loss of the old contrast between the demonstrative adjectives and pronouns.^[2]

celui itself continues Vulgar Latin *ecce illui, from ecce (“behold”) and a dative form of ille (“that”); it replaced the Old French nominative cil and the oblique cel, which disappeared in the 16th century.^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1372.^[2] Littré's earliest quotations are from the 16th century, for example Montaigne's ceulx-ci of the verses just quoted.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Until the 16th century celui was both pronoun and adjective; when it became a pure pronoun, the forms in -ci and -là took over the contrast of near and far.^[2][5] In principle celui-ci refers to what is nearer, or to what is about to be mentioned, and celui-là to what is farther off or already mentioned, but celui-là is more common when there is no contrast.^[5] Familiar speech has the reduced form çui-ci.^[1]

Timeline

• 1372 – First record of celui-ci.^[2]
• 15th century – celui-là.^[2]
• 16th century – The old forms cil and cel disappear.^[2]
• 1694 – Recorded by the Académie.^[7]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. This one, the one here, as opposed to celui-là: de ces deux maisons, celle-ci est la plus grande.^[5][1]
2. The latter, the one just mentioned.^[1][5]
3. What follows, what is about to be mentioned.^[5]

Word family

• çui-ci

Related words

• celui-là
• ce
• celui
• ceci
• cela

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
3. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 552b
7. ^ 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