Etymologically
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lequel

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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