Etymologically
← History of ce

ce French · revision 16242

18 Oct 2026, 04:31 by bogdan “Fix punctuation and links in new French entries” current version

Changes in this edit

@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
The determiner “ce”, “cet”, “cette”, “ces” is [[inh|fro|cest]], [[inh|la-vul|*ecce iste]], a form of Latin [[m|la|iste|t=this, that]] reinforced by [[m|la|ecce|t=behold]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary) The masculine “ce” (12th century) is the reduction before a consonant both of “cest” and of [[m|fro|cel]] (whence [[celui]]), from [[m|la-vul|*ecce ille]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) In the Strasbourg Oaths the form is still “ist”; the “c” was added later by analogy with “cil”, where it was needed because plain “il” had become the personal pronoun.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)
− Classical Latin had three demonstratives, [[m|la|hic]], “iste” and [[m|la|ille]], Old French reduced the system to two terms, near (“cest”) and far (“cel”), modern “celui-ci” and “celui-là”, perhaps because Frankish too had only two.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Cognate with [[oc|cest]], [[es|aqueste]] and [[it|questo]].^(Littré 1873)
+ Classical Latin had three demonstratives, [[m|la|hic]], “iste” and [[m|la|ille]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Old French reduced the system to two terms, near (“cest”) and far (“cel”), modern “celui-ci” and “celui-là”, perhaps because Frankish too had only two.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Cognate with [[oc|cest]], [[es|aqueste]] and [[it|questo]].^(Littré 1873)
==Earliest recorded meaning==
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==Forms==
− '''ce''' (''c''' before a vowel, ''ç''' before ''a'').^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)
− Old French [[m|fro|czo]] (about 881), [[m|fro|ço]], [[m|fro|iço]], ''ice'', ''ce'' from 1050, a weakened form, ''ice'' disappeared in the 15th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)
+ '''ce''' (''c’'' before a vowel, ''ç’'' before ''a'').^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)
+ Old French [[m|fro|czo]] (about 881), [[m|fro|ço]], [[m|fro|iço]], ''ice''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The weakened form ''ce'' is found from 1050, and ''ice'' disappeared in the 15th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)
==Etymology==