si French · revision 16268

+ {{homograph|1|if}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=842, Serments de Strasbourg|origins=la sī}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /si/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''si'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French usually [[m|fro|se]] (about 1050, earlier ''sed''), ''s’'' before a vowel, until the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''Se'' was eliminated in the 17th century, but survives in ''s'il''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The conjunction “si” is [[inh|fro|se]], [[inh|la|sī|t=if; whenever]].^(DHLF 1992)^(FEW|11, 561a)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Old French form “se” comes from popular [[m|la-vul|*se]] (recorded in the 6th century), an alteration of “sī” after [[m|la|quis|alt=quid]], which was used as a conjunction in Late Latin.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) “Sed” “if” in the “Vie de saint Alexis” supports this.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) “Si” appears early, in the Strasbourg Oaths, perhaps as a Latinism; it was the only form in Anglo-Norman and some western areas.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Archaic Latin had “sei”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) No conditional conjunction is common to several Indo-European languages.^(DHLF 1992) Ernout and Meillet held that “sī” and [[m|la|sīc|t=so]] were originally one word meaning “in this case, so”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) Cognate with [[it|se]], [[es|si]] and [[pro|si]], [[pro|se]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Strasbourg Oaths (842) have ''si'' introducing a simple condition: ''Si Lodhuuigs sagrament… conservat'' “if Louis keeps the oath”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the beginning ''si'' introduced a simple hypothesis (842); one fulfilled in the past is found in 1080, one excluded in the present at the end of the 12th century, and the potential about 1175.^(DHLF 1992) ''Même si'' dates from about 1150, and concessive ''si'' (“though”) from the 12th century.^(DHLF 1992) The noun ''un si'' “a condition” is found in ''sans si'' (13th century), ''avec un si'' (1718) and the proverb ''avec des si on mettrait Paris en bouteille'' (1787).^(DHLF 1992) ''Si ce n'est'' dates from 1530, and ''sinon'' from the 15th century (Commynes).^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 842 – ''Si'' in the Strasbourg Oaths.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – ''Se'' in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1150 – ''Même si''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 13th century – ''Sans si''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 17th century – The form ''se'' disappears.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1787 – ''Avec des si on mettrait Paris en bouteille''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|if]]: introduces a condition or supposition: ''si tu viens, je reste''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Whether, if: introduces an indirect question: ''je me demande s'il viendra''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # If only, what if: with the imperfect, expresses a wish or suggestion: ''si nous partions ?''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Though, while: marks a contrast: ''si l'un est riche, l'autre est pauvre''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(invariable)'' An if, a condition: ''avec des si…''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sinon]]

+ * [[aussi]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|so; yes}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=842, Serments de Strasbourg|origins=la sīc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /si/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''si'''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adverb “si” is [[inh|fro|si]], [[inh|la|sīc|t=so, thus]], also used in Latin for “so much” and in affirmation.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) [[sic]] is a learned doublet.^(Wiktionary) The same Latin word gave the words for “yes” in [[it|sì]], [[es|sí]] and [[pt|sim]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adverb is recorded from 842.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the Middle Ages ''si'' was common at the head of clauses in the sense “so, thus, yet”, as it still is in Walloon.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It is now an adversative affirmative particle, the “yes” used to contradict a negative statement, and an intensifier before an adjective or adverb, “so”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''Si fait'' “yes indeed” has become old-fashioned.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The compound [[aussi]] (12th century) contains the old pronoun ''al'' “other thing”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|yes]]: in answer to a negative question or statement: ''Tu ne viens pas ? — Si !''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|so]], such: ''il est si gentil'', ''si bien que''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # As (in comparisons): ''rien ne nous rend si grands qu'une grande douleur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' So, thus: ''si ferai''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sinon]]

+ * [[aussi]]

+

+ {{homograph|3|the note B}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=coinage|attested=1646}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /si/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''si''' ''m'' (invariable)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The note “si” was formed from the initials of “Sancte Iohannes” in the hymn to Saint John the Baptist, from which the names of the other notes (“ut”, “ré”, “mi”…) had been taken.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Petit Robert dates it to 1646, the Grand Robert to the early 17th century.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(music)'' The seventh note of the scale of C, [[m|en|B]]: ''si bémol''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sinon]]

+ * [[aussi]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ainsi]]

+ * [[la|sī]]

+ * [[la|sīc]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}