sus

Forms

sus (invariable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin sūsum (“upward, above”),^[2][3][4][5] a popular form found from Plautus on,^[3][6] beside Classical sursum, which is a compound of sub- (“under”) and versum (“towards”).^[3][2]

Cognate with Italian su, Spanish suso and Portuguese sus.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Sequence of Saint Eulalia (about 880) sus is an adverb meaning “up, above”: chi maent sus en ciel “who dwells up in heaven”.^[3][7]

Semantic evolution

The adverb first meant “up, upward” (in heaven), and en sus “up, above” is found from about 980 to the early 17th century.^[2] As a preposition meaning “on”, recorded from about 1165, sus competed for a long time with soure, sor, the ancestors of sur¹, and lasted until the 17th century.^[3][4]

Several old phrases have gone out of use: courir sus à qqn “to attack someone” (about 1175), mettre sus a crime “to impute it” (about 1220), mettre sus a tax “to levy it” (1478).^[2] As an exclamation urging someone on, sus is found from about 1200, as in or sus, and in the classical period also as sus donc (1626).^[3][2] In law, sus joined to participles referred to something already named (1219), the source of susdit.^[3] En sus de meant “far from” about 1190 and survives in law for “in addition to” (1798), while en sus “in addition” is recorded by Furetière in 1690.^[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg note that the adverb remains very much alive in the dialects.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 880 – Sus “above” appears in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.^[3]
• c. 980 – En sus “up, above” is recorded.^[2]
• c. 1165 – Benoît de Sainte-Maure uses it as a preposition, sus li corut “ran at him”.^[3]
• c. 1175 – Courir sus à “to attack” is first found.^[2]
• c. 1200 – The exhortation or sus appears in Courtois d'Arras.^[3]
• 1636 – Monet still records sus as a preposition, which then goes out of use.^[3]
• 1690 – Furetière records en sus “in addition”.^[3]
• 1798 – En sus de “in addition to” is used in law.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (archaic) Courir sus à: to attack, to rush at: ils coururent sus aux pillards.^[8][3]
2. (archaic) Used as an exhortation to attack or act: sus donc!, or sus!.^[3][2]
3. En sus: in addition, on top of that: le transport est en sus.^[8][7]
4. En sus de (law, administration): in addition to: une prime en sus du salaire.^[8][2]

Word family

• dessus

Related words

• sur¹
• Latin sūsum

Usage notes

The adverb survives only in a few phrases, chiefly courir sus and en sus.^[6][3] The Petit Robert gives the pronunciation as [sy] or [sys].^[8]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 462b
6. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert