falloir

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fa.lwaʁ/^[1]

Forms

falloir (defective)^[1] Old French present falt, faut (12th century); the infinitive falloir and the other forms were built in the 15th–16th centuries on il faut.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French faillir (“to fail, be lacking”), remade after its third person singular “il faut” (earlier “falt”), on the model of valoir.^[5][2][1] “Faillir” comes from popular inherited from Vulgar Latin *fallīre (“to be lacking”), an alteration of Classical Latin fallō (“to deceive; to fail; to escape”).^[2][3] “Il faut” continues *fallit.^[2][3][1] Littré calls “falloir” the same word as “faillir”, differing only in its conjugation.^[6] Compare Franco-Provençal falêr, from a similar development.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1160, in the Roman d'Eneas, in the sense “to be lacking”: petit en falt que “little is lacking that, it nearly happened that”.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to be lacking” survives in peu s'en faut and il s'en faut de peu, tant s'en faut.^[2][7] From about 1165 (Chrétien de Troyes) falloir expressed need and necessity, which became its main sense.^[5][2] Il faut que “it is inevitable that” (mid-15th century) eliminated two other impersonal verbs with that sense, estovoir and estre mestier.^[2] Comme il faut “as is proper” is found in 1548, and as an adjective (des gens comme il faut) in 1790.^[5][2] From about 1657 (Pascal) il faut + infinitive also expresses a supposition that explains a fact (il faut qu'il soit malade).^[5][2]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – Petit en falt que in the Roman d'Eneas.^[5]
• c. 1165 – Of necessity, in Chrétien de Troyes.^[5]
• mid-15th century – Il faut que “it is inevitable that”.^[5]
• 15th–16th centuries – The infinitive falloir is formed.^[2][4]
• 1548 – Comme il faloit.^[5]
• 1657–62 – Of a supposition, in Pascal.^[5]
• 1790 – Des gens comme il faut.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (impersonal) Il faut: it is necessary, one must, (someone) needs: il faut partir, il me faut de l'argent.^[1][4]
2. Il faut que + subjunctive: (someone) has to: il faut que tu viennes.^[5][1]
3. To take (time): il faut deux heures pour y aller.^[1]
4. Il faut + infinitive: must (of a supposition): il faut être fou pour….^[5][2]
5. S'en falloir: to be lacking: il s'en faut de peu, tant s'en faut, far from it.^[1][7]
6. Comme il faut: properly, (adjective) respectable.^[2][5]

Related words

• faillir
• faute
• faux
• Latin fallō

Usage notes

Falloir is used only in the third person singular with the impersonal il.^[1][4]

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 j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert