même French · revision 16227

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la ipse}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɛm/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /mɛːm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''même''' (plural mêmes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|medisme]], [[m|fro|medesme]] (1050), [[m|fro|meïsme]] (1080), ''meesme'' (about 1160), ''mesme'' (13th century, 1271); ''même'' from the 16th century; the Académie wrote ''mesme'' in 1694 and 1718.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|medesme]], [[inh|la-vul|*metipsimus]], built from the emphatic particle [[m|la|-met]], which strengthened personal pronouns (“egomet”, “nosmet”), and the intensive demonstrative [[m|la|ipse|t=himself, in person]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|4, 807b) Late Latin often combined both in phrases such as “egomet ipse” “I myself in person”, which gave “metipse” in the 5th century; the pronoun was then dropped and the form strengthened again with the superlative ending “-imus”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Bloch and Wartburg explain the need for this reinforcement at the end of the Empire by the growing use of “ipse” as a demonstrative and an article.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The form “meïsme” may be analogical on a plural “*metissimi”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ “Metipse” itself survives in [[pro|medeis]] and [[ca|mateix]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) “*metipsimus” gave [[it|medesimo]], [[es|mismo]] and [[pt|mesmo]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) Littré rejected an older derivation from [[m|la|maximus]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) it follows a pronoun or noun for emphasis, “very, himself”: ''A lui medisme'' “to him himself”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the first texts ''même'' was an emphatic adjective placed after a noun or pronoun to show that the very person or thing is meant; unlike modern usage, it could also be placed before the noun with this sense from about 1121 to the 17th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The sense of identity, “same”, placed before the noun, is found in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080).^(GLLF 1989) ''En même temps'' dates from before 1678, earlier ''au même temps'' (1530).^(GLLF 1989) After a noun of quality it marks that quality to the highest degree (''la brutalité même'', Scarron, 1651).^(TLFi) The adverb “even” developed later, and ''de même'' “likewise” and ''quand même'' “all the same” are common phrases.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – ''Medisme'' after a pronoun, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1080 – “Same”, and the form ''meïsme'', in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1271 – The form ''mesme''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1530 – ''Au même temps''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 16th century – The form ''même''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1651 – ''La brutalité même'' in Scarron.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|same]] (before the noun): ''le même jour'', ''en même temps''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Very, itself (after the noun or pronoun): ''ce jour même'', ''lui-même''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # The very embodiment of (a quality): ''elle est la bonté même''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''Le même'', ''la même'': the same one: ''c'est toujours le même''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|even]]: ''même lui le sait'', ''il n'a même pas répondu''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''De même'': likewise, ''quand même'': all the same, ''à même'': directly on.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pareil]]

+ * [[la|ipse]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}