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depuis

Etymology and origin of the French word depuis

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 1135, Couronnement de Louis
Ultimate origin
Old French (de,puis)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /də.pɥi/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): /de.pi/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): /dɑ̃.pɥi/[1]
  • IPA (Louisiana): /dɑ̃.py/[1]

Forms

depuis[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Old French de + puis, from the preposition “de” and puis.[2][3][4][5][6] Wiktionary derives it from Late Latin “dē post”, influenced by “puis” or by a later “*dē postius”.[1]

Cognate with Portuguese depois, Spanish después and Italian dopo.[1][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1135 in the Couronnement de Louis as a preposition, depuis la mort Guaifier “since Guaifier's death”.[2]

Semantic evolution

As a preposition it marks the starting point of a period still going on, past or to come; until the classical period it could also mark a past moment, a use since taken over by il y a.[3] It has marked a starting point in space from about 1360, and in a series or a range of prices from the same date.[3][8] The adverb, “from then until now”, is found from about 1131 (1280 in the TLFi), and du depuis was used in Middle French and the classical language (about 1410).[3][2] Depuis que dates from the late 12th century and has ousted the senses “after” (1389) and “since, given that” (1373).[3][2]

In Swiss French depuis tout petit means “since early childhood”, and in African and Malagasy French depuis alone means “for a long time”.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1135 – Preposition depuis in the Couronnement de Louis.[2]
  • Late 12th century – Depuis ke in the Oxford Folie Tristan.[2]
  • 1280 – Used as an adverb.[2]
  • c. 1360 – Starting point in space.[3][8]
  • 1395 – Depuis les oreilles in the Ménagier de Paris.[2]
  • c. 1410 – Du depuis.[3]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. Since (a point in time): depuis le 15 mars, depuis la Révolution.[9][1]
  2. For (a duration up to now): Il est absent depuis dix jours.[1][9]
  3. From (a place): depuis le haut jusqu'en bas.[2][3]
  4. From, starting at (a price, a rank): des chambres depuis cinquante euros.[3]
  5. Depuis que: since, ever since.[9][3]

Adverb

  1. Since then: Nous ne l'avons pas revu depuis.[9][1]
  2. (Africa, Madagascar) For a long time.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 h i j k l 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 243a
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Depuis.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/depuis. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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