Etymologically
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lorsque

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /lɔʁsk/[1]
  • IPA: /lɔʁ.skə/[1]

Forms

lorsque[1] Written lors que from about 1200; joined in the 15th or 16th century (lorsque in Palsgrave, 1530), though the Académie printed lors que until 1762.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a compound from French lors + que.[3][2][4][1][5] The /s/ of “lors” had fallen silent, and its pronunciation in “lorsque” was restored only in the 17th century: Daniel Martin still wrote “lorke” in 1632.[3][6] The GLLF and the TLFi attribute the change to the influence of parce que, and the TLFi compares puisque and jusque.[6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1200 in the songs of the Châtelain de Coucy: lors que la vi, li laissai en hostage mon cuer “when I saw her, I left her my heart as a hostage”.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It has always marked simultaneity, “at the time when”; with the conditional or the indicative it also expresses contrast, “whereas”, a literary use first noted in Corneille (1642).[6][7] It is more literary than quand and draws more attention to the clause it introduces.[6] In the 18th century Parisians said lorseque, with a reinforcing /ə/, a pronunciation criticised in 1733.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – Lors que, the Châtelain de Coucy.[3]
  • 1530 – Lorsque in one word, Palsgrave.[3]
  • 1632 – Still pronounced lorke.[3]
  • 1642 – Contrastive use, Corneille.[6]
  • 1835 – The Académie writes it in one word.[3]

Meanings

Conjunction

  1. when, at the time when: lorsque tu auras fini, viens me voir.[7][1]
  2. (literary) Whereas, while: on fait des discours lorsqu'il faut agir.[7][6]

Usage notes

The final e is elided before il, elle, on, en, un and une (lorsqu'il), and in modern usage often before any vowel.[8][9] The two parts may be separated: lors donc que vous viendrez.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b 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 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 475a
  6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)