Etymologically
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quoi

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Pronunciation

Forms

quoi n[1] Old French quei (1080), quoi (about 1175); written quoy by the Académie in 1694 and 1718.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French quei, inherited from Latin quid (“what”), the neuter of the interrogative, relative and indefinite pronoun “quis”; it is the stressed form beside unstressed que.[2][5][3][6] In Latin “quid” asked “what thing?”, was used as an oratorical transition, meant “something” after “si”, “nisi” and “ne”, and was used adverbially for “why?”.[2] Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Indo-European *kʷid; English what is a cognate.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1050, in the Vie de saint Alexis, as an interrogative pronoun after a preposition in direct speech.[4]

Semantic evolution

As a relative after a preposition quoi is found from 1174–76, with an antecedent that could still be a person in Old French.[4] I ot de quei “there was good reason for it” dates from about 1165, avoir de coi “to have the means” from 1176–81 and “to be well off” from 1260.[4] Il n'y a pas de quoi “don't mention it” is found in a letter of d'Alembert (1773).[4] At the head of a sentence it has expressed surprise or indignation since about 1180, now often as et quoi (1669) or mais quoi (1678).[2][4] Familiar speech uses it in place of que (about 1450).[2] pourquoi dates from about 1050.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Interrogative quei in the Vie de saint Alexis.[4]
  • c. 1165 – I ot de quei “there was good reason”.[4]
  • c. 1175 – The form quoi.[2]
  • c. 1180 – Quoi as an exclamation.[4][2]
  • 1580 – Quoi qu'il en soit in Montaigne.[7]
  • 1773 – Il n'y a pas de quoi.[4]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. what: interrogative, for things, after a preposition or (familiar) as object: à quoi penses-tu ?, tu fais quoi ?.[1][8]
  2. What, which: relative, after a preposition: ce à quoi je pense, après quoi, sans quoi.[7][8]
  3. De quoi + infinitive: enough to, the means to: avoir de quoi vivre.[1][7]
  4. Quoi que: whatever: quoi que tu fasses.[1][7]
  5. Il n'y a pas de quoi: don't mention it.[7][4]

Interjection

  1. What!: expresses surprise or indignation: quoi ! tu pars ?.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 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 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. 2, 1467a
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert