Etymologically
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très

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tʁɛ/[1]
  • IPA: /tʁɛ.z‿/[1]
  • IPA: /tʁe.z‿/[1]

Forms

très[1] Old French tres, also tre (12th century); the Académie wrote tres in 1694, trés in 1718 and très from 1740, with a hyphen before the adjective (très-bon) until 1835.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French tres, inherited from Latin trāns (“across, beyond”), pronounced “trās”.[2][4][5][1] The Latin preposition had a local sense, but as a preverb it could mean “right through, completely”, which led to its use as an intensive adverb in popular Latin.[2][3][5] Bloch and Wartburg compare the development of per (“through”) in “permagnus” “very great”, and note that the same intensive use is found only in Italian “fra”, “tra” (“trafreddo” “very cold”); elsewhere “trāns” remained a preposition, as Spanish “tras” “behind, after”.[6][7] trans- and “tré-” are doublets.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1050, in the Vie de saint Alexis, très already stands before an adjective or adverb to mark the absolute superlative; the Grand Robert and the Grand Larousse cite the Chanson de Roland (1080).[3][5][8]

Semantic evolution

Until the 14th–15th century très was also a preposition, with the spatial sense “behind” (1050), kept in Occitan and Spanish, and of time “after”, hence “from, since” (about 1170); it formed phrases such as tresqu'à “as far as”.[2][6] It also formed verbs marking movement beyond, such as trépasser and trébucher.[6] Since the 16th century it has been only an intensive adverb.[6]

Très is placed before adjectives and adverbs, and later before a phrase used as an adjective (second half of the 13th century), in verbal phrases with avoir (j'ai si tres soif, about 1225), before nouns (Racine, 1668) and, from 1715 (Lesage), before a past participle with passive value, a use criticized since the 18th century.[3][2] In answers it stands alone (pas très, about 1450–65).[3] Bloch and Wartburg note that it is not very popular in the dialects.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Superlative très in the Vie de saint Alexis, très “behind”.[3][2]
  • c. 1170 – Preposition “since, from”.[2]
  • c. 1225 – J'ai si tres soif.[3]
  • 14th–15th centuries – End of the prepositional use.[2]
  • 1668 – Before a noun, in Racine.[3]
  • 1715 – Before a past participle, in Lesage.[3]
  • 1740 – The Académie adopts the spelling très.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. very: before an adjective or adverb: très gentil, très vite.[1][9]
  2. Very: before a phrase used as an adjective: très en colère, très comme il faut.[9][8]
  3. In verbal phrases with avoir: avoir très faim, avoir très peur.[3][8]
  4. Alone in answers: pas très.[3]
  • trépasser
  • Latin trāns

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 c d e f g h i j k l 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 13/2, 197b
  5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert