oui French · revision 16261

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1080, Chanson de Roland (oïl)|origins=la hic, la ille}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /wi/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (colloquial, humorous): /ɥi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''oui'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|oïl]] (1080), [[m|fro|oï]] (about 1155); ''ouy'', ''ouil'' (1380); written ''oüy'' by the Académie in 1694 and ''ouy'' in 1718.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|oïl|t=yes]], in a reduced form, “oïl” is a compound of [[m|fro|o|t=yes; that]], from Latin [[m|la|hic|alt=hoc|t=this]], and the pronoun [[il]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|4, 443b)^(Grand Robert 2005) “Oïl” is the condensation of a sentence like Latin “hoc ille fecit” “he did this”, the verb “faire” standing for the verb of the question in the answer and being left out altogether.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Etymonline) Old French also had “o-je”, “o nos”, “o vos” “yes, I; yes, we; yes, you”, which disappeared, and the negative “nen-il”, now [[nenni]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ As “o-je” and “ne-je” fell out of use and “il” lost its independence, “oui” and “nenni” had become unanalysable by the 16th century at the latest.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The same “hoc” gave [[oc|òc]], the “yes” of the south.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Oïl'' is found in the ''Chanson de Roland'' (1080); the form ''oui'' (''ouy'') is recorded about 1380.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Oïl'' was used until the 15th century, but survives in ''langue d'oïl'', the northern French dialects, opposed to ''langue d'oc'' and Franco-Provençal.^(DHLF 1992) The adverb answers a question that is not negative (unlike [[si]]), alone or strengthened, as in ''ouy dea'' (1474), later ''oui-da'', and ''que oui'' (1657).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) After a verb of saying it acts as an object, as in ''dire oui'' (about 1216) and ''ne dire ni oui ni non'' (1652).^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992) The noun ''un oui'' dates from 1536.^(TLFi) ''Oui'' has spread over the whole Gallo-Romance area, and southern ''o'' has become rare.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1080 – ''Oïl'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1138 – ''Oïl'' after a verb of saying, in Gaimar.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1380 – The form ''ouy'', ''oui''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1474 – ''Ouy dea''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1536 – ''Un ouy'' as a noun.^(TLFi)

+ * 1652 – ''Ne dire ni oui ni non''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|yes]]: a positive answer to a question that is not negative: ''Tu viens ? — Oui.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # After a verb of saying: ''dire oui'', to accept or approve, ''je crois que oui''.^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # For emphasis or doubt: ''oui, oui…''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(invariable)'' A yes, a vote in favour: ''un oui franc'', ''pour un oui ou pour un non'', for no reason.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[il]]

+ * [[nenni]]

+ * [[si]]

+ * [[la|hic]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Oui'' is treated as if it began with a consonant: there is no elision or liaison before it (''le oui'', ''un / oui''), except in familiar phrases such as ''je crois qu'oui''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}