Etymologically
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où

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Pronunciation

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]

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