onc

Forms

onc^[1] Also oncques and onques.^[2][3] Old French omque (about 881), unque (about 980), unc and unkes (11th century), onkes (about 1160), onc and onques (both about 1175).^[4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French unc, inherited from Latin umquam (“at some time, ever”).^[2][1][4][6] The Latin adverb was used in negative clauses, questions and conditions, and in sentences affirmative in form but negative in sense, especially after a comparative.^[2][4] Rey analyses it as cum joined to quam (“than, how”), a particle of the relative and interrogative stem.^[4]

Its negative compound numquam (“never”) gave Old French nonque (“never”), recorded in the Strasbourg Oaths (842) and the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as omque in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia (about 881), with non, meaning “never”: Niule cose non la pouret omque pleier “nothing could ever bend her”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Old French kept both Latin uses: with a negation and a past verb it meant “never” or, by about 1100, “not at all”, and without a negation it meant “at any time, ever” in questions (about 1100 in the Chanson de Roland), indirect questions (about 1160), conditions (about 1175) and sentences negative in sense after a comparative.^[2][4]

In Middle French onques, ne onques, ja and jamais shared out the work for a time in the 15th century, onques going only with past verbs; all of them aged except jamais, which went with past, present and future verbs alike.^[4] Onques survived as a stylistic archaism in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Furetière judged it old and burlesque at the end of the 17th century.^[4] In the 19th century Balzac, Barbey d'Aurevilly and other writers revived it for a medieval or deliberately archaic tone.^[4][2]

Timeline

• c. 881 – Omque appears in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.^[2][4]
• late 10th century – Unque non in the Passion of Clermont.^[2]
• c. 1050 – Unc … ne in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[2]
• c. 1100 – The Chanson de Roland uses unc ne “not at all” and unkes in a direct question.^[2]
• c. 1175 – The forms onc and onques are recorded.^[4]
• 15th century – Onques competes with jamais and loses ground.^[4]
• late 17th century – Furetière calls it old and burlesque.^[4]
• 1830 – Balzac uses s'il en fut oncques.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (archaic, literary or humorous) At some time, ever: un hiver plus rude qu'il n'en fut oncques.^[2][1]
2. (archaic) With ne: never: On ne revit onc ce marchand.^[2][7][8]

Related words

• jamais
• quiconque
• Latin umquam

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 26b
7. ^ Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert