nuit French · revision 16311

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=ine-pro *nókʷts}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (France): /nɥi/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Belgium): /nwi/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec, informal): /nɥit/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nuit''' ''f'' (plural nuits)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|noit]] (about 980), then ''nuit'' (1050) and the Latinizing spelling ''nuict''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|noit]], [[inh|la|nox|t=night; rest; darkness; death]] (accusative “noctem”), from [[itc-pro|*nok⁽ʷ⁾ts]], from [[ine-pro|*nókʷts]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|7, 212b) The Indo-European word is also seen in [[grc|νύξ|tr=núx]], [[de|Nacht]], [[en|night]] and [[cu|нощь|tr=noštĭ]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|noapte]], [[it|notte]], [[pro|nuech]], [[ca|nit]], [[es|noche]] and [[pt|noite]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Passion de Clermont'' (late 10th century), ''la noit'', the time between sunset and sunrise; the same text uses it for darkness.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Nuit'' is paired with ''jour'' in ''noit e di'' (10th century), ''nuit e jor'' (about 1170) and, the other way round, ''jour et nuit'' (1538).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''De nuit'' “by night” is found in 1160–1174, ''travailler de nuit'' in 1510, ''passer la nuit'' in 1606 and ''passer une nuit blanche'' in 1774 (Mme du Deffand).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The compounds ''chemise de nuit'' (1632), ''table de nuit'' (1730) and ''vase de nuit'' (about 1820) followed.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In Old French the word could also mean the evening, as English ''tonight'' still does; classical French used it for a night of love (1655), and since 1868–1874 it has meant the price of a night at a hotel.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) Figuratively it stands for death (''la nuit du tombeau'', 1604), blindness and ignorance (1611) and remote time (''la nuit des temps'', 1682).^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

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

+ * 1160–1174 – ''De noit'' “by night”, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1604 – ''La nuict du tombeau'' “death”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1632 – ''Chemise de nuit''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1682 – ''La nuit des temps'' in La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1774 – ''Passer une nuit blanche''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1874 – The price of a night at a hotel.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|night|alt=Night]], the time between sunset and sunrise: ''la nuit tombe'', ''bonne nuit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Darkness: ''Il fait nuit.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''De nuit'': at night: ''travailler de nuit''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Nuit blanche'': a [[m|en|sleepless]] night.^(TLFi)

+ # A night's stay; its price at a hotel.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Darkness, ignorance, death: ''la nuit des temps''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nuitée]]

+ * [[minuit]]

+ * [[nuisette]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nocturne]]

+ * [[la|nox]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}