vôtre

Forms

vôtre (plural vôtres)^[1] Old French vostre, plural voz, with the Latinized spelling vestre about 1210 and the Picard vo.^[2][3] The spelling vôtre dates from the 17th century.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French vostre, inherited from Latin voster, a remaking of classical vester (“your”) after noster (“our”) and vōs (“you”).^[5][3][1] It is the stressed form of the same word as the determiner votre.^[6][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1100 the Chanson de Roland has it with the article, la vostre anme “your soul”, and as an attribute, Cist camp est vostre “this field is yours”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In Old French the stressed possessive stood with an article or a demonstrative before the noun (ceste vostre carue, about 1140) and as an attribute.^[2] With the article and no noun it became the pronoun le vôtre (about 1140).^[2] As an attribute it expressed devotion, as in the Châtelain de Coucy's Car vostres sui “for I am yours” (about 1200).^[2][6]

As a noun les vôtres meant “your men, your side” from the Roland on, and later “your family and friends”.^[2][3] The singular noun “your property” was common in the classical period but has disappeared.^[3] In classical letters la vôtre meant “your letter” (1596), and vôtre before the signature is found from the 17th century (le tout vostre Gassendi, 1632).^[3] The toast à la vôtre “your health” is recorded in 1756, and faire des vôtres in 1548.^[2][3]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Vostre appears in the Chanson de Roland.^[2]
• c. 1140 – First use as a pronoun with the article in the Voyage de Charlemagne.^[2]
• c. 1200 – Used to express devotion, vostres sui.^[2]
• 1548 – Faire des vôtres is recorded.^[3]
• 1596 – La vôtre for “your letter”.^[3]
• 1632 – Vostre closes a letter of Gassendi.^[3]
• 1636 – The spelling vôtre is recorded.^[4][7]
• 1756 – À la vôtre “to your health” in Vadé.^[2]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. Le vôtre, la vôtre, les vôtres: yours, what belongs to several people addressed, or to one person addressed with vous: Mon vélo est rouge, le vôtre est bleu.^[7][2]
2. À la vôtre!: “to your health!”, a toast.^[2][3]

Adjective

1. (literary) As an attribute: yours, belonging to you: Ce jardin est vôtre.^[7][2]
2. Before the signature of a letter: Amicalement vôtre, bien vôtre.^[7][8]
3. (archaic) Before a noun with an article or demonstrative: your.^[2][1]

Noun

1. Les vôtres: your family, friends or side: Passez le bonjour aux vôtres.^[7][3]
2. Du vôtre: something of your own effort or contribution, as in the Académie's vous y avez mis un peu du vôtre (1835).^[2][3]
3. Faire des vôtres: to play your usual tricks.^[2][3]

Related words

• votre
• vous
• Latin vester

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF