Etymologically
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tien

Etymology and origin of the French word tien

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont (tua)
Inherited from
Latin tuus
Ultimate origin
Latin (tuus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tjɛ̃/[1]

Forms

tien (feminine tienne, masculine plural tiens, feminine plural tiennes)[1] Old French feminine tua, tue, masculine tons, tuen, toen, tien appears in the 13th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin tuus (“your, yours (of one person)”), through its accusative “tuum”, a possessive formed from tū (“you”).[3][4][1][5] The Old French forms “tuen” and “toen” were remodelled as “tien” after mien.[6][4] It developed like “mien” and sien.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The feminine tua is in the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century); about 1050 the Vie de saint Alexis has Pur tue amur an soferai l'ahan (“for love of you I will suffer the torment”).[2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the possessive was used before the noun, as in the Psautier de Cambridge (early 12th century): cum gran est li tuens nums (“how great is thy name”).[2] The plural li tuen “your people” is found about 1170, and del tuen “of your goods” about 1150.[2][3] The pronoun le tien, la tienne became established in the mid-16th century.[3][6]

Faire des tiennes “to get up to your tricks” dates from 1784, y mettre du tien “to do your share” from 1876, and the toast à la tienne ! was familiarly rhymed à la tienne, Étienne ! by 1863.[3] The adjective survives in literary use, as in un tien parent, and as an attribute in the language of love (je suis tien).[3][6]

Timeline

  • late 10th century – Tua in the Passion de Clermont.[2]
  • c. 1050 – Tue, tons in the Vie de saint Alexis.[2]
  • c. 1170 – Li tuen “your people”.[3]
  • 13th century – The form tien.[3][4]
  • mid-16th century – The pronoun le tien.[3][6]
  • 1784 – Faire des tiennes.[3]
  • 1863 – À la tienne, Étienne !.[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. Le tien, la tienne, les tiens, les tiennes: yours (when addressing one person as tu): ce n'est pas le mien, c'est le tien.[7][8]
  2. (familiar) À la tienne !: cheers, your health![7][3]

Noun

  1. Les tiens: your family, your people.[3][9]
  2. Y mettre du tien: to do your share, make an effort.[3]
  3. (familiar) Faire des tiennes: to get up to your tricks.[3]

Adjective

  1. (literary) Yours: un tien parent, je suis tien.[7][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d 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. 13/2, 452a
  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. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Tien.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/tien. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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