Etymologically
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lequel

Etymology and origin of the French word lequel

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (liquels)
Ultimate origin
Latin (ille,quālis)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French le
French lequel

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /lə.kɛl/[1]

Forms

lequel m (feminine laquelle, plurals lesquels, lesquelles); with à and de: auquel, auxquels, auxquelles, duquel, desquels, desquelles[1][2] Old French liquels, li quels, le queil, li quiex.[3][4]

Etymology

It is from French le + quel.[3][5][2][1][4][6] The interrogative quel continues Latin quālis (“of what kind”),[7] and the article le continues Latin ille (“that”).[1]

Compare Italian il quale and Spanish el cual, formed the same way.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) has the interrogative in an indirect question, implying a choice: E il ne savent liquels d'els la vaincra “and they do not know which of them will win it”.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

As a relative it is found in the prologue of the Vie de saint Alexis (before 1123), both as subject and after a preposition (del quel nus avum oït lire e canter).[3] It also served in Old French as an indefinite pronoun, li quiex qui soit (about 1150), and, from 1160–74 as a relative adjective (laquelle somme).[3] Benoît de Sainte-Maure (about 1175) used neuter le quel in the sense “whether”.[3]

As a relative subject, lequel gave way to qui and is now found mainly in legal style, or to avoid ambiguity; after a preposition it remains normal (la personne à laquelle, le livre duquel).[2][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Interrogative liquels, Chanson de Roland.[3]
  • Before 1123 – Relative, Vie de saint Alexis.[3]
  • First half of the 12th century – Direct question, Oxford Psalter.[3]
  • c. 1150 – Indefinite li quiex qui soit, Roman de Thèbes.[3]
  • 1160–74 – Relative adjective, Wace.[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. (relative, after a preposition) which, whom: la table sur laquelle, les amis auxquels j'ai écrit.[2][1]
  2. (relative subject, legal or literary) Who, which, used to avoid ambiguity: une sœur de Colin, laquelle le rendit heureux.[2][8]
  3. (interrogative) Which one: lequel préférez-vous ?, n'importe lequel, any one.[2][1]

Adjective

  1. (relative, formal or legal) Which: auquel cas, laquelle somme.[3][2]

Word family

  • auquel
  • duquel

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 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
  4. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1412a
  7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Lequel.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/lequel. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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