jusque

Forms

jusque (invariable, jusqu’ before a vowel; archaic or poetic jusques)^[2][3] Old French jusche (10th century), josque; juque and juc are found until the 16th century.^[4][5][3]

Etymology

It is probably a shortening from Old French enjusque, whose first syllable was taken for a superfluous prefix and dropped, although the shorter form is recorded earlier.^[4][3][5][6] The longer form (Chrétien de Troyes, 1176–81, Old Occitan en jusca, 1143) comes from Latin inde (“from there”) + usque (“as far as”), a combination frequent in Late Latin but found in classical Latin too.^[4][3] P. Falk rejected a direct origin from dē with the same second element, still given as an alternative by the Grand Robert, since such a form would have arisen after the change of /dj/.^[4][3][2] Wiktionary gives the chain as inherited from the same Latin elements.^[1]

The internal ⟨s⟩, regularly lost in pronunciation, was restored mainly from the 16th century, probably by analogy with puisque and lorsque and perhaps by learned comparison with the Latin word.^[4][5][3][7] The ⟨o⟩ of josque may reflect a by-form of the Latin word with a short vowel.^[4][5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion of Clermont (second half of the 10th century) has jusche with a complement of place and jusque with a complement of time, marking the limit reached.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The preposition soon came to be followed by another preposition, above all à: jusque an about 1050 (Alexis), jusqu’a ici “from here to” about 1100 (Roland).^[4][3] It was combined with adverbs (jusque ci, about 1165, jusqu’a demain, 1176–81), with abstract nouns to mark an extreme degree (early 13th century) and with an infinitive (about 1460); from 1547 it marks the inclusion of the limit in a whole.^[4][3]

As an adverb meaning “even” it appears in 1561.^[4][3] The conjunctions are jusque tant que (1176–81), jusqu’à tant que (1247), now dated or regional, and jusqu’à ce que with the subjunctive (before 1405).^[4][3] Phrases include aller jusqu’au bout (Corneille, 1640) and en avoir jusque-là “to be fed up” (Mme de Sévigné, 1676).^[4] In 1916 Romain Rolland used jusqu’au-boutiste, a supporter of war to the bitter end.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 980 – Jusche and jusque appear in the Passion of Clermont.^[4][2]
• c. 1100 – Jusqu’a is used in the Chanson de Roland.^[4]
• 1176–81 – Chrétien de Troyes uses enjusque and jusqu’a demain.^[4]
• 1247 – Jusqu’à tant que is recorded.^[4][3]
• Before 1405 – Jusques a ce que with the subjunctive.^[4]
• 16th century – The ⟨s⟩ is pronounced again.^[4][5]
• 1561 – First used as an adverb meaning “even”.^[4][3]
• 1676 – Mme de Sévigné writes en avoir jusque-là.^[4]
• 1916 – Jusqu’au-boutiste and jusqu’au-boutisme appear.^[3]

Meanings

Preposition

1. Followed by à, another preposition or an adverb: as far as, up to (a place): jusqu’à Lyon.^[9][4]
2. until, up to (a time): jusqu’à demain, jusqu’ici.^[4][9][1]
3. To the point of, even (an extreme degree, or the inclusion of the limit): jusqu’à + noun or infinitive.^[4][3]

Conjunction

1. Jusqu’à ce que + subjunctive: until.^[4][3][9]

Word family

• jusqu'au-boutiste
• jusqu'au-boutisme

Related words

• puisque
• lorsque
• Latin usque

Usage notes

In modern standard French jusque is never used alone, but always as the first element of a phrase.^[4] The form jusques, with adverbial ⟨s⟩, is used only before a vowel for the sound, mainly in poetry.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y 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
5. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 75a
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 74a
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert