certain

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sɛʁ.tɛ̃/^[1]
• IPA: /sɛʁ.tɛ.n‿/^[1]

Forms

certain (feminine certaine, masculine plural certains, feminine plural certaines)^[1] Old French certan (about 1160), then certain (about 1200).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *certānus, derived from classical Latin certus (“settled, fixed; sure”) (see certes), the past participle used as an adjective of cernō (“to sift; to discern, decide”) (see discerner).^[2][4][1] “Certus” itself gave Old French cert, which did not reach the 16th century, supplanted by “certain”.^[4][2][5]

Cognate with Old Occitan certan (“sure, sincere”) and old Spanish and Italian “certano”; modern Italian certo and Spanish cierto continue “certus”.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as certan about 1160, of a person: “sure, convinced”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Of a thing it meant “assured, undeniable” about 1200 and “well established” in 1373.^[2] Placed before a noun of person (1283) it expresses a feigned and sometimes scornful ignorance (un certain X), and before any noun an indefinite quality (un certain âge); without an article it is an indefinite adjective close to quelques.^[2] The pronoun certains “some people” is found once in 1634 and again from 1863.^[2]

Old uses as a noun, “certainty” (1374) and “what is sure” (1567), have nearly gone, except on the stock exchange, where le certain is a fixed rate of exchange (1738).^[2] The derivative certainement and the compound incertain (1329) followed.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – Certan “sure”.^[2]
• c. 1200 – Certain of things.^[2]
• 1283 – Before a person's name.^[2]
• 1329 – Incertain.^[4]
• 1373 – “Well established”.^[2]
• 1863 – The pronoun certains.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. After the noun: certain, sure, beyond doubt: un fait certain.^[6][1]
2. Of a person: sure, convinced: j'en suis certain.^[2]
3. Before the noun: some, a particular: un certain temps, d'un certain âge, un certain M. Dupont.^[1][2]

Determiner

1. Certains, certaines: some, a few: certains jours.^[1][2]

Pronoun

1. Certains: some people: certains pensent que….^[2]

Word family

• certainement
• incertain

Related words

• certitude
• certes
• certifier
• Latin certus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert