quoi French · revision 16222

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=ine-pro *kʷid}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kwa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quoi''' n^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|quei]] (1080), ''quoi'' (about 1175); written ''quoy'' by the Académie in 1694 and 1718.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|quei]], [[inh|la|quis|alt=quid|t=what]], the neuter of the interrogative, relative and indefinite pronoun “quis”; it is the stressed form beside unstressed [[que]].^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|2, 1467a)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In Latin “quid” asked “what thing?”, was used as an oratorical transition, meant “something” after “si”, “nisi” and “ne”, and was used adverbially for “why?”.^(DHLF 1992) Wiktionary traces it to [[ine-pro|*kʷid]]; [[en|what]] is a cognate.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1050, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis'', as an interrogative pronoun after a preposition in direct speech.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a relative after a preposition ''quoi'' is found from 1174–76, with an antecedent that could still be a person in Old French.^(TLFi) ''I ot de quei'' “there was good reason for it” dates from about 1165, ''avoir de coi'' “to have the means” from 1176–81 and “to be well off” from 1260.^(TLFi) ''Il n'y a pas de quoi'' “don't mention it” is found in a letter of d'Alembert (1773).^(TLFi) At the head of a sentence it has expressed surprise or indignation since about 1180, now often as ''et quoi'' (1669) or ''mais quoi'' (1678).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Familiar speech uses it in place of ''que'' (about 1450).^(DHLF 1992) [[pourquoi]] dates from about 1050.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – Interrogative ''quei'' in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1165 – ''I ot de quei'' “there was good reason”.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – The form ''quoi''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1180 – ''Quoi'' as an exclamation.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1580 – ''Quoi qu'il en soit'' in Montaigne.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1773 – ''Il n'y a pas de quoi''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|what]]: interrogative, for things, after a preposition or (familiar) as object: ''à quoi penses-tu ?'', ''tu fais quoi ?''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # What, which: relative, after a preposition: ''ce à quoi je pense'', ''après quoi'', ''sans quoi''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''De quoi'' + infinitive: enough to, the means to: ''avoir de quoi vivre''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Quoi que'': whatever: ''quoi que tu fasses''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Il n'y a pas de quoi'': don't mention it.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # What!: expresses surprise or indignation: ''quoi ! tu pars ?''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[que]]

+ * [[qui]]

+ * [[pourquoi]]

+ * [[quoique]]

+ * [[la|quis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}