où

Pronunciation

• IPA: /u/^[1]

Forms

où^[1] Old French ut (10th century), o (late 10th century), u (1080) and ou (1050).^[2][3] The grave accent, which distinguishes it from ou “or”, dates from 1539.^[2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French ou, inherited from Latin ubi (“where; when”), a relative and interrogative adverb of place without motion, also used of time.^[2][5][6][1] Latin “ubi” belongs to the group of the relative quī; comparison with Oscan puf and Umbrian “pufe”, and the compound alicubi (“somewhere”), show that it was originally “*cubi”.^[2][7] Wiktionary gives Old Latin cubī, from Proto-Italic *kʷuðei.^[1]

Cognate with Italian ove, Old Occitan o and Old Spanish o.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Léger (second half of the 10th century) has ut as a relative adverb of place: Cio fud Lusos ut il intrat “it was Luxeuil that he entered”.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

As a relative adverb of place, où was first used after an antecedent, especially an adverb of place (lai… o “there … where”, late 10th century), and after prepositions from 1176–81 (par ou).^[4][2] About 1160–70 it was extended to people and things, meaning “to whom, in which”.^[4] Its use without antecedent was common in Old and Middle French, then declined after the 16th century in favour of là où.^[2] It has been an interrogative adverb from 1080, and is used of time (le jour où).^[3][1]

Timeline

• 2nd half of 10th century – Ut in the Vie de saint Léger.^[4]
• c. 1050 – The form ou.^[6][3]
• 1080 – As an interrogative, in the Chanson de Roland.^[3]
• 1176–81 – After a preposition: par ou.^[4]
• 1539 – Robert Estienne writes où with a grave accent.^[4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. where: in questions: où vas-tu ?.^[1][8]
2. Where, in which: relative, after a noun of place or state: la maison où j'habite, d'où, par où.^[8][3]
3. When: relative, after a noun of time: le jour où il est parti.^[1]
4. Where, wherever: without antecedent: allez où vous voudrez.^[3][2]

Related words

• qui
• Latin ubi

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 1b
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert