pas French · revision 16196

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 980, Passion de Clermont|origins=la pandō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pa/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /pɑ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Canada): [pɔ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pas''' ''m'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|pas]], [[inh|la|passus|t=step, pace; footprint; a measure of length]].^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|7, 736a)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun belongs to [[m|la|pandō|t=to spread out, open by stretching]] (whence [[épandre]]), the step being the spreading of the legs.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The adverb of negation is the same word: “ne… pas” meant at first “not even a step”, used with verbs of movement, then “not at all”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

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

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The noun appears about 980 in the phrase ''en pas que'' “as soon as”, and as the movement of the feet in walking in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080): ''son petit pas'' “slowly”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Several Old French phrases measured speed by the step: ''sun petit pas'' “slowly” (1080), ''del pas'' “at once” (late 12th century); modern French has kept ''de ce pas'' “straight away” (1548).^(DHLF 1992) ''Pas à pas'' (about 1450) continues ''pas pur pas'' (1180), and the 16th and 17th centuries added ''faux pas'' (1530, figurative 1606), ''pas de clerc'' “blunder” (1585) and ''céder le pas'' “to give precedence” (1651).^(DHLF 1992) By metonymy the word meant a footprint (1160), the length of a step (1380), the slowest pace of a horse (1196), a dance step (1480) and the marching step of soldiers (1755).^(DHLF 1992) From 1160–74 it also meant a narrow passage or pass, as in ''Pas de Calais''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The use with ''ne'' to strengthen the negation is found about 1100 in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) ''Pas'' without ''ne'' is found in questions from 1269–78 and in answers in the 15th century; it is very common in familiar speech (''pas vrai ?'', 1779–80, ''pas mal'').^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) From the 16th century ''pas'' eliminated its main rival [[mie]]; this use is found only in Gallo-Romance.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – ''En pas que'' “as soon as”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1080 – ''Son petit pas'' “slowly” in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Ne… pas'' as a negation.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160 – “Footprint”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1160–74 – “A narrow passage, a pass”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1196 – The walking pace of a horse.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1269–78 – ''Pas'' without ''ne'' in questions, in Jean de Meun.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – ''Pas'' ousts ''mie'' as the main negative particle.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1530 – ''Faux pas''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1651 – ''Céder le pas''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|step]]: the movement of one foot in front of the other in walking.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A footstep, a footprint; the sound of steps: ''revenir sur ses pas''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # The length of a step; a short distance: ''à deux pas''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A way of walking; a [[m|en|pace]]: ''au pas de course''; the walking pace of a horse.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A step in dancing: ''pas de deux''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A narrow [[m|en|passage]], a mountain pass or strait: ''le pas de Calais''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A stage, a step forward: ''faire le premier pas'', ''un faux pas'', a [[m|en|blunder]].^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(technical)'' The [[m|en|pitch]] of a screw thread.^(Larousse)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|not]]: with ''ne'', the usual negation: ''je ne sais pas''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Not, without ''ne'': ''pas vrai ?'', ''pas mal''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Non pas'': not, strengthening ''non'': ''non pas très grande, mais élégante''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[passage]]

+ * [[passer]]

+ * [[épandre]]

+ * [[la|passus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Older French used other nouns of small quantity the same way: ''ne… point'', ''ne… mie'' “not a crumb”, ''ne… goutte'' “not a drop”.^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''Pas'' is now used alone, without ''ne'', in much ordinary speech.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}