quand

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɑ̃/^[1]
• IPA: /kɑ̃.t‿/^[1]
• IPA (Quebec): /kã/^[1]
• IPA (Louisiana): [(e)kɑ̃]^[1]

Forms

quand^[1] Old French quant (10th century), quand from the 14th century, spelled after Latin and to distinguish it from quant (à).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French quant, inherited from Latin quandō (“when”), an adverb and conjunction which, from the oldest texts, has the same sense as cum (“when”).^[2][5][3][1] Classical Latin partly distinguished “quandō” from “cum”, using it as an interrogative and causally (“since”), but familiar Latin tended to replace “cum” with “quandō”, which is why it survived with its sense of time in the Romance languages.^[2][6] It belongs to the Indo-European stem “*kʷ-” of relatives and interrogatives, and is probably formed from “*quamdo”, from quam (“how”) and a particle “-do” also seen in dōnec (“until”) and English to.^[2]

Cognate with Italian quando and Spanish cuando.^[2][6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Quant is found in the 10th century, in the Vie de saint Léger; about 1050, in the Vie de saint Alexis, it means “at the same time as”.^[3][8]

Semantic evolution

Besides its sense of time, quand was causal, “as, since”, about 1050, adversative, “whereas”, about 1100, and conditional, “in case”, in 1176 (Chrétien de Troyes).^[8] Quand même + conditional “even if” is found in 1573 and quand bien même in 1580.^[8] As an interrogative adverb, “at what time?”, it is found from the 11th century, and with prepositions (depuis quand, à quand) from the 16th–17th centuries.^[4][8] In familiar use it introduces an object clause (j'aime quand il parle).^[9]

Timeline

• 10th century – Quant in the Vie de saint Léger.^[3]
• c. 1050 – Of time and of cause, in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[8]
• 1176 – Conditional quant, in Chrétien de Troyes.^[8]
• 14th century – The spelling quand.^[2]
• 1558 – À quand.^[8]
• 1580 – Quand bien + conditional.^[8]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. when: at the time that: quand vous aurez fini, vous partirez.^[9][1]
2. Whenever, each time that: quand il pleut, je reste.^[4][1]
3. When, whereas: marks a contrast: il se plaint quand il a tout.^[8]
4. Quand même, quand bien même + conditional: even if.^[8]

Adverb

1. When, at what time: quand viendrez-vous ?, depuis quand ?.^[1][4]

Related words

• lorsque
• que
• qui
• quoi
• quant
• Latin quandō

Usage notes

Quand is pronounced with [t] in liaison when it is a conjunction (quand il est venu), but usually not as an adverb (quand irez-vous ?).^[8][3] Quand même is also an adverb, “all the same”.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1416b
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert