tu French · revision 16190

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=937–952, Jonas fragment|origins=ine-pro *túh₂}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ty/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: [t͡ʃy]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): [t͡sy]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): [t͡sʏ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tu''' (second person informal singular, plural vous, object te, emphatic toi, possessive determiner ton)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|tu]], [[inh|la|tū|t=you (singular)]], in the nominative and vocative.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992) The Latin pronoun is an Indo-European word, found in [[cu|ты|tr=ty]], [[goh|du]], [[xcl|դու|tr=du]] and [[grc|τύ|tr=tú]], Wiktionary traces it to [[itc-pro|*tū]], from [[ine-pro|*túh₂]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) The stressed [[toi]] comes from the accusative [[m|la|tū|alt=tē]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|tu]], [[es|tú]] and [[pro|tu]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the Jonas fragment (937–952), with stress and contrast: ''tu doles super edera… e jo ne dolreie'' “you grieve over the ivy … and I would not grieve”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French ''tu'' was a stressed pronoun used for emphasis, and could be left out, a usage that survives in old phrases and proverbs; it was sometimes used where modern French has ''toi''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In northern France it has been since the 16th century merely a prefix marking the second person singular of verbs, while elsewhere it remained stressed.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ It has been used as a noun since 1771, especially in ''être à tu et à toi avec qqn'' “to be on very familiar terms” (1835), earlier ''de tu à toi'' (1798).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) [[tutoyer]] “to address someone as ''tu''” dates from 1393, replacing ''tutoiser'' (1280–90), and ''tutoiement'' from 1690.^(DHLF 1992) Bloch and Wartburg date ''tutoyer'' to 1394.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 937–952 – ''Tu'' in the Jonas fragment.^(TLFi)

+ * 1280–90 – ''Tutoiser'' “to say ''tu'' to”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1393 – ''Tutoyer''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 16th century – ''Tu'' becomes a mere verbal prefix in northern French.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1771 – ''Tu'' used as a noun.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1835 – ''Être à tu et à toi'' is recorded by the Académie.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|you]]: second person singular subject pronoun, used to someone one knows well, a child or a social equal, and in prayer.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Elided ''t''' before a vowel: ''t'as raison''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The word ''tu'', ''dire tu à qqn'', to [[m|en|address]] someone as ''tu''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tutoyer]]

+ * [[tutoiement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[toi]]

+ * [[te]]

+ * [[ton]]

+ * [[tien]]

+ * [[la|tū]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Tu'' is used only with people one is familiar with; otherwise the polite ''vous'' is used.^(GLLF 1989) In Quebec informal speech, ''tu'' (from ''t-il'') is also a question particle after the verb (''c'est-tu vrai ?'').^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}