on French · revision 16203

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɔ̃.n‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''on''' ''m or f'' m pl or f pl^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|om]] (842), [[m|fro|hom]], [[m|fro|hum]] (1050), then ''on'' (12th–13th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) ''L'on'' (''le hom'', 1050) keeps the old article.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|om]], [[inh|la|homō|t=human being]], the nominative, which developed in unstressed position; the accusative [[m|la|homō|alt=hominem]] gave [[homme]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|4, 457a)^(Littré 1873) In Late Latin “homo” is found in a few examples as an indefinite subject, the use that led to the pronoun.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Since the other Romance languages, including Italian and Spanish, also used “homo” as an indefinite pronoun, Rey thinks a Frankish model unlikely, though [[de|man]] beside “Mann” shows the same development; the Franks may, however, have made the pronoun more general and frequent in French than elsewhere.^(DHLF 1992) Wiktionary instead takes the pronominal use to be of Germanic origin, comparing [[ang|man|t=one, they]] and [[nl|men]].^(Wiktionary) Cognate with [[ca|hom]] and Old Spanish [[m|osp|omne]].^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Strasbourg Oaths (842) have ''om'' in ''si cum om per dreit son fradra salvar dift'' “as one should rightly help one's brother”, where it can still be read as a noun.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The use of ''on'' was settled before the 13th century.^(DHLF 1992) The form with the article, ''l'on'' (1050), a trace of the old noun, survives in literary use for the sake of sound, Vaugelas (1647) accepted both ''on dit'' and ''l'on dit'' but preferred ''on dit'' at the start of a sentence.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Vaugelas also prescribed the ''t'' in ''prie-t-on'', ''alla-t-on''.^(TLFi) Being masculine in origin, ''on'' takes a masculine past participle (1179), though an attribute may agree with the sense.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ''On'' for ''nous'' “we” is recorded from 1666 in Molière and is now usual in familiar speech.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) Occitan dialects use their ''on'' only when the speaker is among the people meant, otherwise the third person plural.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 842 – ''Om'' in the Strasbourg Oaths.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – ''Hom'' and ''l'um'' in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1155 – The form ''on'' in Wace.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1647 – Vaugelas discusses ''on dit'' beside ''l'on dit''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1666 – ''On'' for “we” in Molière.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # One, [[m|en|people]], they: an indefinite subject: ''on ne saurait penser à tout''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Someone: ''on frappe à la porte''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' We: ''on y va''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Used for ''tu'', ''vous'' or ''je'', with irony or affection: ''alors, on est content ?''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[homme]]

+ * [[la|homō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''On'' is always a subject.^(Petit Robert 2007) ''L'on'' is used in writing after ''et'', ''si'', ''où'' and ''que'' to avoid a hiatus or an awkward sound.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}