Etymologically
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deuxième

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 10:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dø.zjɛm/[1]

Forms

deuxième (plural deuxièmes)[1] Deusiesme (1306), deusime (1319–40, Watriquet de Couvin).[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French deux + -ième.[2][4][5][1] That numeral comes from Latin duo (“two”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Guillaume Guiart's Royaux lignages (1306) has deusiesme as an ordinal; the Chanson de Bertrand du Guesclin (14th century) has lui deuxieme “with one other”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it is recorded by Richelet (1680), or in 1665 according to the GLLF, and used by La Fontaine.[2][6] Le deuxième is also the second floor of a house (1870, Larousse) and a regiment (le deuxième hussards, Balzac).[6][7] Soldiers speak of un deuxième classe, a private.[2][6] Littré called “quite arbitrary” the rule by which deuxième is used when there are more than two and second when there are only two, though some purists still follow it.[8]

Timeline

  • 1306 – Deusiesme, Guillaume Guiart.[2]
  • 1319–1340 – Deusime, Watriquet de Couvin.[2]
  • 1680 – As a noun, Richelet.[2]
  • 1870 – Le deuxième “the second floor”.[6][7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. second: la deuxième fois, la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, la deuxième personne du singulier.[8][1]

Noun

  1. The second (person or thing): arriver deuxième.[8][6]
  2. The second floor: habiter au deuxième.[6][8]
  3. (military) Un deuxième classe: a private.[6][2]

Word family

  • deuxièmement

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 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 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 f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert