à French · revision 16187

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=842, Serments de Strasbourg|origins=la ad, la ab, la apud}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''à'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|a]], beside the Latinate spellings ''ad'' (to the 13th century) and ''ab'' (to the 15th).^(DHLF 1992) The grave accent was introduced in 1533 and was general in dictionaries by 1606.^(DHLF 1992)

+ Contracted with the definite article: ''au'' (from ''a le'', ''al'') and ''aux'' (from ''a les'', ''als''); they prevailed over ''a le'', ''a les'' in the 13th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|a]], from [[la|ad|t=to, towards]], which expressed movement towards a place or person and in spoken Latin often replaced the dative and the genitive.^(TLFi)^(FEW|24, 129b)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) Some of its uses come from [[m|la|ab|t=from, away from]], expressing separation and origin,^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|24, 1a)^(Littré 1873) and, from [[m|la|apud|t=at, with]] in a popular form [[m|la-vul|*abu]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) Rey explains the single French form by the confusion of “ab” with “ad”, and of “apud” with “ad”, in Merovingian times (6th–7th centuries).^(DHLF 1992) The Grand Larousse adds that it took over some uses of Old French [[m|fro|od|t=with]].^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|a]], [[oc|a]] and [[es|a]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Strasbourg Oaths (842) have the form ''ab'' (from ''apud''); ''a'' and ''ad'' of direction are well attested by the middle of the 11th century, as in the ''Chanson de Roland'': ''Seigneur baron, à Charlemagne irez'' “lords, you will go to Charlemagne”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French ''a'' had more uses than today.^(DHLF 1992) It marked the instrument and manner (881, “with”), comparison, and, from ''ab'', the point of departure where modern French has ''de'' (''prendre congé a qqn'', mid-11th century).^(DHLF 1992) It also introduced the possessor, as still in ''la barque à Charon'' and popular ''la fille à Pierre''.^(DHLF 1992) Many verbs then took ''a'' that are now transitive (''aider a qqn''), and many circumstantial complements built with ''à'' until the 17th century later took ''vers'', ''chez'', ''sur'' or ''avec''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The preposition could be written together with the following word (''afforfait'', ''assavoir'') until the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 842 – ''Ab'' (from ''apud'') appears in the Strasbourg Oaths.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 881 – ''Ad'' with the sense “with” in the ''Sequence of Saint Eulalia''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+ * mid-11th century – ''A'' and ''ad'' of direction; the contraction ''al''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 13th century – ''Au'' and ''aux'' prevail over ''a le'', ''a les''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1533 – The grave accent is introduced.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1606 – The accented spelling is general in dictionaries.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|to]]: marks the place one goes to: ''aller à Paris''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # At, in: marks the place where one is: ''être à la maison''.^(Wiktionary)^(Larousse)

+ # At: marks a point in time: ''à midi''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # Introduces the indirect object of verbs, nouns and adjectives: ''nuire à sa santé'', ''fidèle à sa parole''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # Of, belonging to: ''ce livre est à moi''.^(Wiktionary)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ # By, with: marks the means or manner: ''à pied'', ''à la main''.^(Wiktionary)^(Larousse)

+ # Forms compound nouns stating what something is for or has: ''machine à laver'', ''tasse à café''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # Before an infinitive: to, for: ''une maison à vendre''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[au]]

+ * [[aujourd'hui]]

+ * [[aux]]

+ * [[jusqu'à]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|ad]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}