comme French · revision 16211

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɔm/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (colloquial): /kʌm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''comme'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|cum]] (842), [[m|fro|com]] (10th century), [[m|fro|come]], [[m|fro|cume]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992) ''Com'' was used until the early 16th century.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|com]], [[inh|la|quōmodo|t=in what way, how; as]], a compound of the ablative of [[m|la|quis]] and [[m|la|modus|t=manner]].^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|2, 1542a)^(GLLF 1989) The direct source of “cum”, “com” is the late form “quōmo”, “como”, recorded in inscriptions from the 5th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) The longer “come” is explained by Bloch and Wartburg, and by Rey as the more likely view, as “quōmodo” + [[m|la|et]], as in the phrase “quomodo et tu”, found from the 3rd century; this also accounts for [[it|come]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) Others explain it by analogy with pairs such as “or” and “ore”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The oldest texts distinguish “com”, which introduces a comparative clause, from “come”, used before a noun or adjective (“or i fiert come ber” “now he strikes there like a baron”).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Littré rejected a derivation from the conjunction [[m|la|cum]], which the forms “come”, “como” rule out.^(Littré 1873) Cognate with [[es|como]], [[pt|como]] and [[it|come]].^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Strasbourg Oaths (842) have ''si cum'' “as” in a comparison: ''si cum om per dreit son fradra salvar dift'' “as one should rightly help one's brother”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word had most of its functions, inherited from Latin syntax, before the 12th century.^(DHLF 1992) From its comparative use came, through a comparison of simultaneity, the use of time (''comme il entrait'', mid-10th century) and, from that the use of cause (1275, rare before the 15th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) In questions French has used [[comment]], from ''com'' + ''-ment'', since the 11th century; until the end of the 17th century ''comme'' and ''comment'' were often interchangeable.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ''Tout comme'' “just like” is found in Froissart, ''comme qui dirait'' “so to speak” in Amyot (1559) and ''comme quoi'' in 1466.^(TLFi) Colloquial Canadian French uses ''comme'' like English “like”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * mid-10th century – Of manner and of time, in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

+ * 11th century – ''Comment'' in questions.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1275 – Of cause, in Jean de Meun.^(TLFi)

+ * 1466 – ''Comme quoi''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1559 – ''Comme qui diroit'' in Amyot.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|as]], [[m|en|like]]: marks a comparison: ''il écrit comme il parle'', ''bavard comme une pie''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # As, in the role of: ''il travaille comme serveur''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # Such as: ''des fruits comme les pommes''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # As, since: marks a cause: ''comme il pleuvait, je suis resté''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # As, when: marks time: ''comme il entrait''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Comme si'': as if.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # How (exclamative): ''comme c'est beau !''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # Almost, as it were: ''il était comme fou''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[combien]]

+ * [[comment]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|quōmodo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Comme'' was given the sense of Latin ''cum'' “when, since” from the 16th century, when writers even used it with the subjunctive on the Latin model.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}