Etymologically
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presque

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:03. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pʁɛsk/[1]

Forms

presque[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French près + que: Old French “près” already meant “almost” (early 12th century, Benedeit, “a bien près” 1130–1140), and the phrase “pres que” (about 1165) was at first “près” with the relative pronoun “que”, “nearly what”, then with the conjunction “que” of consequence, followed by “ne”: pres qu'il ne chiet “he nearly falls”.[2][3][4][5] The two parts were welded into one word in the 13th century (about 1265, Jean de Meun).[6][7][3] Wiktionary compares Italian pressoché.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

A bien près “almost” is in Wace (1130–1140), and bien pres que … ne in Guillaume d'Angleterre (about 1165); pres que as one adverb is found in the early 13th century (Por ce que je sui pres que nue, Gautier de Coinci, about 1223).[2]

Semantic evolution

The adverb became independent in the 13th century, used before an adjective or an adverb and after a verb; in poetry it could be spelled presques until the 17th century.[3] From 1559 it was followed by a preposition (presqu'en même temps), and presque isle (1544), modelled on Latin paenīnsula, became presqu'île.[3][2]

From the late 18th century it has been used almost like a prefix before a noun, as un presque démenti (1779, Rétif de la Bretonne) and la presque unanimité (1791).[2][3] The elliptical mais presque ! (1886) and ou presque (1907) correct a statement without cancelling it.[3]

Timeline

  • 1130–1140 – A bien près “almost”, in Wace.[2]
  • c. 1165 – Bien pres que … ne.[2]
  • c. 1265 – Written as one word, in Jean de Meun.[6]
  • c. 1393 – Presque cuite in the Ménagier de Paris.[2]
  • 1544 – Presque isle, later presqu'île.[2][3]
  • 1779 – Un presque démenti, in Rétif de la Bretonne.[2]
  • 1791 – La presque unanimité.[2]
  • 1907 – Ou presque.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. almost, nearly, not quite: presque toujours, presque personne.[8][6]
  2. Before a noun: near-, all but: la presque totalité.[6][3]
  3. Ou presque: or very nearly.[6][8]

Usage notes

The final ⟨e⟩ is elided only in presqu'île; elsewhere one writes presque à, presque entier.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 366b
  6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert