soudain

Pronunciation

• IPA: /su.dɛ̃/^[1]

Forms

soudain (feminine soudaine, masculine plural soudains, feminine plural soudaines)^[1] Old French sudein (about 1120), remade as soudain about 1210; the semi-learned spelling soubdain is found in the 16th century.^[2][3] The learned form subitain (1160–70) lived on in mort subitaine, still used in Walloon and Swiss dialects.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French sudein, inherited from Late Latin subitānus (5th century), an alteration of subitāneus (“sudden”), from subitus (“sudden”).^[4][2][3][5] The same Latin adjective gave the learned subit.^[2][3]

Cognate with Old Occitan soptan and Italian subitano.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Cambridge Psalter (first half of the 12th century) sudein describes what happens in a very short time.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Of people it meant quick to act (late 14th century, Froissart), a sense lost in the 18th century, and quick-tempered (1380), still found in 1700.^[4][2]

The adverb is first recorded in 1487 meaning “at once”; the modern sense “all of a sudden” appears in 1549, and tout soudain from about 1530.^[4][2] The conjunction soudain que “as soon as” (1538) was no longer in use by 1721, according to the Dictionnaire de Trévoux.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1120 – Sudein, in the Cambridge Psalter.^[2][4]
• c. 1210 – The form soudain.^[2][3]
• Late 14th century – “Quick to act”, in Froissart.^[4]
• 1487 – Adverb “at once”.^[4]
• 1549 – Adverb “suddenly”.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. sudden, happening in a very short time and without warning: une mort soudaine, une envie soudaine.^[8][9]

Adverb

1. suddenly, all at once: soudain, un orage éclata.^[10][1]

Word family

• soudaineté
• soudainement

Related words

• subit
• Latin subitus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
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. 12, 334b
6. ^ 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. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)