mon French · revision 16264

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la meus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /mɔ̃.n‿/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /mɔ.n‿/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): [mɒ̃ʊ̯̃]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mon''' ''m'' (feminine ma, plural mes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''mo'' (late 10th century), [[m|fro|mun]] (about 1050), subject ''mes''; feminine ''ma''; plural ''mos'', ''mas'', then ''mes''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|mun]], [[inh|la-lat|mum]], a reduced form (7th century) of [[m|la|meus|alt=meum|t=my]], the accusative of the Latin possessive “meus” used unstressed.^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|6/2, 64b)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) The feminine “ma” continues “meam” contracted to “mam”, and the plural “mes” continues “meōs”, “meās” reduced to “mos”, “mas”.^(DHLF 1992) The stressed form [[mien]] comes from “meum” in stressed position.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Wiktionary suggests that the form may also have been influenced by [[xtg|mon|t=my]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ “Meus” derives from [[m|la|ego|alt=mē]], the accusative of “ego”.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century) has ''mo'' as an object form: ''Vedez mo laz'' “see my side”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Elision before a vowel (''m'espée'' “my sword”, 1080) was a feature of Old French, which survives in [[mamie]] (''m'amie'') and ''m'amour''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Mon'' before a feminine noun beginning with a vowel is found from the end of the 12th century (''mon arme'', about 1180, ''mon âme'', before 1250) and became the rule.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Mon'' is used in addressing people (''mon ami'', ''mon père'' to a priest, 1657), and in the army before a rank (''mon capitaine'', 1873).^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 10th century – ''Mo'' in the ''Passion de Clermont''.^(TLFi)

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

+ * 1080 – Elided ''m'espée'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1180 – ''Mon'' before a feminine noun with a vowel.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1873 – ''Mon'' before a military rank, in Daudet.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Determiner===

+ # [[m|en|my]]: first person singular possessive, masculine or before a vowel; feminine ''ma'', plural ''mes''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # My: marks a relation, a group one belongs to or something one does: ''mon départ'', ''mon village''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # In addressing someone: ''mon ami'', ''mon chéri''; in the army, before a rank: ''mon colonel''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mondit]]

+ * [[mononcle]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ma]]

+ * [[mes]]

+ * [[ta]]

+ * [[tes]]

+ * [[sa]]

+ * [[ses]]

+ * [[notre]]

+ * [[nos]]

+ * [[leur]]

+ * [[mien]]

+ * [[moi]]

+ * [[me]]

+ * [[la|meus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Old French also had an unrelated affirmative particle ''mon'' “certainly” (''c'est mon''), of uncertain origin.^(Littré 1873) Diez derived it from Latin ''munde'' “purely”.^(Littré 1873)^(AND)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}