peu French · revision 16250

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pø/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''peu''' (comparative moins, superlative le moins)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|pou]] (1050), [[m|fro|poi]] (1080), ''peu'' (about 1150–70).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|poi]], [[inh|la-vul|*paucum]], an adverb formed on the neuter of Classical Latin [[m|la|paucus|t=few, little]], used mostly in the plural “paucī” “few”.^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|8, 51a)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) It eliminated the classical adverbs [[m|la|parum|t=too little]] and [[m|la|paulum|t=a little]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) “Paucus” belongs to a stem also seen in [[m|la|paulus|t=small]], [[m|la|pauper|t=poor]] (whence [[pauvre]]), [[m|la|parvus|t=small]] and [[grc|παῦρος|tr=paûros|t=few, small]], and in [[got|𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌹|tr=faiwai|t=few]] and [[en|few]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873) Wiktionary traces it to [[ine-pro|*peh₂w-|t=few, little]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ It exists in all the Romance languages except Romanian: [[it|poco]], [[es|poco]], [[oc|pauc]], [[ca|poc]] and [[pt|pouco]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) ''pou'' is used with a verb for a short time.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Poi'' marked a small quantity from the early 12th century, as in ''ne peu ne prou'' (1559), later ''peu ou prou'' “more or less” (1600).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It entered phrases followed by the subjunctive, such as ''pour peu que'' (1080), ''tant soit peu'' (1369) and ''si peu que'' (1549), and was used with adjectives from 1504.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) From the beginning of the 12th century, preceded by ''un'', it took a positive value, ''un peu'' “a little”.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''À peu près'' dates from 1487 and ''peu à peu'' from the 13th century (Rutebeuf).^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ In the Gallo-Romance dialects ''peu'' competes with newer expressions, notably ''un petit'' in the west, found in French from the first texts to the 17th century; popular ''un petit peu'' seems to blend ''un peu'' and ''un petit''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1080 – ''Por poi que'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * early 12th century – ''Un poi'' “a little”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 13th century – ''Pou a pou'' “little by little”.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1487 – ''À peu près''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1600 – ''Peu ou prou''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|little]], not much: ''il mange peu'', ''peu de'', few, little: ''peu de gens''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Not very: ''peu probable''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Un peu'': a little, a bit: ''un peu de sel''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Peu à peu'': little by little, ''à peu près'': nearly, about, ''sous peu'', ''avant peu'': soon.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Pour peu que'' + subjunctive: if only, however little.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Le peu de'': the small amount of: ''le peu d'argent qui lui reste''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pauvre]]

+ * [[petit]]

+ * [[la|paucus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}