certes

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sɛʁt/^[1]

Forms

certes^[1]

Etymology

It continues inherited from Vulgar Latin *certās, the feminine accusative plural of Latin certus (“fixed, sure”) used as an adverb, which replaced classical certō (“certainly”).^[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg and Rey compare *prīmās, which gave Old French primes “first”, and the TLFi the Latin adverb forās (“outside”), an accusative plural.^[5][3][2] Certus was the old past participle of cernō (“to sift, decide”).^[3][6] Cognate with Catalan certes and Old Occitan certas.^[6][7] Littré instead took it from the phrase à certes.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) a character says Certes, ne sai cui antercier “Truly, I do not know whom to ask”;^[2] the Chanson de Roland has Non ferez certes, dist li quens Oliviers.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Until the 16th century it was an everyday word with several nuances, including “seriously, attentively”, and phrases such as à certes “in earnest” and pour certes, now gone.^[3][7] In the 16th century it was so common an exclamation among the Huguenots that it was used as a nickname for them.^[3] The Grand Robert notes that it was already ageing in the 17th century; it survives in affirmation and, above all, in concession (certes…, mais…), and in speech it now sounds affected.^[4][3] A rare variant certe, recorded by Cotgrave in 1611, was used as a poetic licence by Marot, La Fontaine, Molière and Hugo.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – In the Vie de saint Alexis.^[2]
• c. 1100 – In the Chanson de Roland.^[7][8]
• 16th century – A nickname for the Huguenots.^[3]
• 1611 – Cotgrave records the variant certe.^[2]
• 1694 – Recorded by the Académie.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (literary or dated) Certainly, indeed: certes, il a raison, oui, certes !^[6][9]
2. (formal) As an answer: yes, of course.^[6]
3. Marking a concession: admittedly: il l'a dit, certes, mais il s'est contredit le lendemain.^[6][1]

Related words

• certain
• certitude
• Latin certus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)