maintenant French · revision 16296

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1135, Couronnement de Louis|origins=la manū tenendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɛ̃t.nɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /mɛ̃.tə.nɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''maintenant'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|maintenant]], which the TLFi and Rey trace to Latin [[m|la|manū tenendō|t=while holding in the hand]], the gerund of “manū tenēre” (see [[maintenir]]); the Grand Robert, the GLLF and Littré treat it as the present participle of “maintenir” used as an adverb.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)^(FEW|6/1, 298b) From the idea of holding something in the hand came that of quickness or, more probably, of extreme nearness in space, and then of nearness in time, hence “at once”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Old French expressed the same idea with “manois”, “demanois” and “main à main”, and modern French still has “en un tour de main”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Littré compares [[pro|mantenent]], Spanish “mantiniente” and Italian “mantenente”.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1135 in the ''Couronnement de Louis'', in ''de maintenant'' “at once”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''De maintenant'' and ''sempres maintenant'' (about 1165) were used before ''maintenant'' alone, which meant “at once, in a moment” in Chrétien de Troyes (1165–1170).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The modern sense “now, at present” appears about 1200 and spread in the 16th century, ousting [[m|fro|or]] in this sense, ''maintenant que'', formerly “as soon as” (1176–1181), took its modern value “now that” in 1572.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) From 1230 the word could also refer to a moment just past, and ''dès maintenant'' “from now on” dates from 1538.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) At the head of a sentence, marking a pause or a reservation (“that said”), it is a 20th-century use.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1135 – ''De maintenant'' “at once”, in the ''Couronnement de Louis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1165–1170 – ''Maintenant'' “at once”, in Chrétien de Troyes's ''Érec et Énide''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1200 – “Now, at present”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1230 – “A moment ago”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Dès maintenant''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1572 – ''Maintenant que'' “now that”, in Amyot.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – Replaces ''or'' “now”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|now|alt=Now]], at the present time: ''C'est maintenant ou jamais.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Now, then, in a narrative in the past: ''Ses yeux, maintenant, ne me quittaient plus.''^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Dès maintenant'', ''à partir de maintenant'': from now on.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Maintenant que'': now that.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # At the head of a sentence: that said, mind you.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[maintenir]]

+ * [[main]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}