là French · revision 16258

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1080, Chanson de Roland|origins=la illāc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /la/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): /la/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): /lɑ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): /lɔ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''là'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|lai]] (2nd half of the 10th century), ''la''; the grave accent distinguishes it from the article ''la''.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|la]], [[inh|la|illāc|t=that way, there]], from [[m|la|ille|t=that]], whose final “c” had already dropped in speech from the time of Plautus.^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|4, 546a)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) The expected diphthong of the “a” was probably prevented by the frequent use of “illa(c)” before another adverb.^(DHLF 1992) It supplanted Old French [[m|fro|ila]] (about 1120).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|lai]], [[it|là]] and [[pt|lá]]; [[es|allá]] is from “ad illāc”.^(Littré 1873)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Vie de saint Léger'' (second half of the 10th century) has ''lai'' for the place where one is not, opposed to ''ci'': ''Pos ci non posc, lai vol ester'' “since I cannot (be) here, I want to be there”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Là'' first named the place one goes to, opposed to ''ici'', but this opposition has been lost in ordinary modern use, where ''là'' also means the place where one is (''je suis là'').^(DHLF 1992) The same happened with its sense of time, “then, at that moment” (1135).^(DHLF 1992) Since 1511 it has also had the figurative sense “to that point” (''en être là'').^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Early on it introduced relative clauses with ''où'', ''que'', ''qui'' (1080); classical French said ''c'est là où'' where modern French says ''c'est là que''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ It forms compounds such as ''là-bas'' (15th century) and ''là-haut'' (1573), and at the end of a sentence it is used for emphasis in familiar and Quebec speech.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd half of 10th century – ''Lai'' in the ''Vie de saint Léger''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1080 – ''Là'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1135 – Of time, “then”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1511 – Figurative “to that point”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 15th century – ''Là-bas''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1573 – ''Là-haut''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|there]]: in a place other than where one is: ''allez là''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Here; present (with ''être''): ''il n'est pas là''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Then, at that moment: ''là, il s'arrêta''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # In that, there: ''tout est là'', ''en être là'', to have reached that point.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # After a noun with ''ce'': ''ce jour-là''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' For emphasis: ''là, je ne comprends plus''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''Là, là'': there, there (to calm someone); ''oh là là !''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[là-bas]]

+ * [[là-haut]]

+ * [[voilà]]

+ * [[delà]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[y]]

+ * [[ici]]

+ * [[il]]

+ * [[la|illāc]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}