deux

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dø/^[1]
• IPA: /dø.z‿/^[1]

Forms

deux (invariable).^[1][2] Old French duos (about 980), dos, dous, deus (12th century), deux (13th century); subject dui, doi; feminine does in eastern texts.^[3][4][5] The x for s comes from confusion with words where -us was written x.^[6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French deus, inherited from Latin duōs (“two”), the masculine accusative plural of “duo”.^[3][7][8][1] The Old French subject form “dui”, “doi” comes from popular “*duī”, and the feminine “does” from duās.^[3][8] “Duo” contains an Indo-European root also found in Ancient Greek δύο (dúo), the prefix “di-” “twice”, Latin bis (“twice”), English two and German zwei.^[3][2] Wiktionary gives Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.^[3][2][1]

Cognate with Romanian doi, Italian due, Occitan dos, Catalan dos, Spanish dos and Portuguese dois.^[2][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Léger (second half of the 10th century) has duos as a cardinal number.^[6][3]

Semantic evolution

From the first records deux was a cardinal adjective, and like other numbers it was used for a small number (deux mots, about 1200), a difference (ce sont deux, about 1245) or a multitude.^[3][6] It has been an ordinal since the second half of the 17th century (le deux mars).^[3][5] As a noun for the number it is found in de deus en trois “quickly” (about 1270), now en moins de deux (1940s), and in certain comme deux et deux font quatre (1690).^[3][6]

Compounds include deux-points (1690), deux-mâts (1835), deux-pièces (1952) and deux-roues (1960); deuxième dates from the 14th century.^[6][8]

Timeline

• 2nd half of 10th century – Duos in the Vie de saint Léger.^[6]
• c. 1200 – For a small number.^[6][3]
• c. 1270 – De deus en trois.^[6]
• 14th century – Deuxième.^[8]
• 1690 – Deux et deux font quatre in Furetière.^[6]
• 1694 – As an ordinal.^[3]
• 1952 – Deux-pièces.^[6]

Meanings

Numeral

1. two: one plus one: deux enfants.^[1][5]
2. A few, a small number: à deux pas d'ici, deux mots.^[5][3]
3. Second (as an ordinal): page deux, le deux mars.^[5]

Noun

1. The number two; the figure 2: diviser par deux.^[5][6]
2. En moins de deux: very quickly.^[3]

Word family

• deuxième
• deuxièmement
• entre-deux

Related words

• double
• douze
• duo

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 181a
8. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France