ça French · revision 16260

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1649}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sa/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Canada): [sɑ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Canada): [sɔ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Louisiana): /sa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ça''' n^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a shortened form of [[cela]], influenced by the adverb of place [[çà]] “here”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary) “Cela” itself is a compound of [[ce]] and [[là]], first found as “çoula” in the 13th century and as “cela” in 1389; it was pronounced with the “l” dropped, which gave [sa].^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Ça'' is first recorded in 1649, in a popular text, the ''Agréable conférence de deux païsans de Saint-Ouen'', which also has ''coume ça'' “like that”.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word belonged at first to popular speech.^(TLFi) La Fontaine used it in 1661, and the Académie recorded it in 1878.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi) It is now the usual familiar form of ''cela'' and ''ceci'', in phrases such as ''ça va'', ''ça y est'' and ''comme ça''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary) It can stand for an indefinite subject (''ça bouge'', ''ça sent bon'') and, with contempt or affection, for people (''ces vieux, ça n'a qu'une goutte de sang'').^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) It strengthens questions (''qui ça ?'', ''où ça ?'').^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In 1926 ''le ça'' was used to translate Freud's ''Es'' (1923), the unconscious drives, beside ''le moi'' and ''le surmoi''; it had first been rendered ''le soi''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – ''Çoula'', the ancestor of ''cela''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1389 – ''Cela''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1649 – ''Ça'' in a popular text.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1661 – ''Ça'' in La Fontaine.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1878 – The Académie records ''ça''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1926 – ''Le ça'' in psychoanalysis.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''(familiar)'' That, this, it: ''donne-moi ça'', ''ça dépend''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # It: an indefinite subject: ''ça va ?'', ''ça sent bon''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Strengthens a question word: ''qui ça ?'', ''quand ça ?''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(familiar, often derogatory)'' Used of people: ''ça bavardait''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''C'est ça'': that's right.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(psychoanalysis)'' The [[m|en|id]]: ''le ça, le moi et le surmoi''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ce]]

+ * [[ceci]]

+ * [[cela]]

+ * [[là]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ça'' is written without an accent, unlike the adverb ''çà'' “here”, now used only in ''çà et là'' and ''or çà''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) In Belgium ''ça est'' is used for ''c'est''.^(Petit Robert 2007) In Louisiana French ''ça'' is also a personal pronoun, “he, she, they”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}