quelque French · revision 16299

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=early 12th century, Benedeit, Voyage de saint Brendan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɛlk/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /kɛl.kə/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /kɛk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quelque''' ''m or f'' (plural quelques)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|fr|quel|que]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|2, 1412a) Old French first used “quel” followed by a noun and the relative “que” to introduce a concessive clause (“quel jagunce que”, about 1100); “quel que” was then brought together before the noun (“quel que pes”, about 1150) and “quelque … que” appears in the early 12th century.^(TLFi) Bloch and Wartburg see the concessive “quelque … que” as the result of a blend of phrases such as ''quel peine que j'aie“ and ”a quel que peine“, from which ”quelque“ was finally used on its own.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ”Quel'' continues [[la|quālis|t=of what kind]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Littré compares [[pro|qualque]] and [[it|qualche]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the early 12th century in Benedeit's ''Voyage de saint Brendan'', in a concessive clause: ''Quelque peril que vus veiez'' “whatever danger you may see”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Used without a following clause, ''quelque'' appears in ''a quelque paine'' “with some difficulty” (1135), and with the indefinite value “some, a” in Guillaume de Lorris (1225–1230); ''quelque chose'' and the plural are found in Jean de Meun (1269–1278).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) Before a number it marked approximation from the mid-15th century (''quelques trente mille personnes''), and in this use, as before an adjective in ''quelque … que'', it tended to become an invariable adverb in the 17th century, as Vaugelas noted in 1647.^(TLFi)

+

+ In the 18th century the pronunciation without /l/ was widely accepted even among educated speakers, but from the end of the century grammarians called for the /l/ to be restored.^(TLFi) ''Quelqu'un'' dates from the 14th century and [[quelquefois]] from 1490.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 12th century – ''Quelque … que'' in Benedeit.^(TLFi)

+ * 1135 – ''A quelque paine'' in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1225–1230 – Indefinite “some”, in Guillaume de Lorris.^(TLFi)

+ * 1269–1278 – ''Quelque chose'' and the plural, in Jean de Meun.^(TLFi)

+ * 14th century – ''Quelqu'un''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * Mid-15th century – Before a number, “about”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1490 – ''Quelquefois''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1647 – Vaugelas notes its use as an invariable adverb.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Determiner===

+ # In the singular: some, a certain: ''depuis quelque temps'', ''quelque part''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # In the plural: a few, [[m|en|some]]: ''quelques amis''.^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''Et quelques'': and a bit more: ''quarante et quelques''.^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''Quelque … que'' with the subjunctive: whatever: ''quelques précautions que vous preniez''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(literary)'' Before a number: about, some: ''à quelque trente kilomètres''.^(Larousse)

+ # ''Quelque'' + adjective + ''que'': however: ''quelque difficiles que soient les circonstances''.^(Le Robert)^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quelquefois]]

+ * [[quelqu'un]]

+ * [[quelque chose]]

+ * [[quelque part]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quel]]

+ * [[que]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}