mieux French · revision 16330

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 881, Séquence de sainte Eulalie|origins=la melior}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mjø/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mieux'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|melz]] (881), [[m|fro|mielz]] (1080), then ''mius'' (1216), ''miex'' (1221) and ''mieuz'' (1260); Middle French ''mieulx''.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|mielz]], [[inh|la|melius|t=better]], the neuter of [[m|la|melior|t=better]] used as an adverb, the comparative of [[m|la|bene|t=well]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|6/1, 668a) It is related to [[meilleur]].^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|meglio]] and [[pro|melhs]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Séquence de sainte Eulalie'' (about 881) as ''melz'', with a verb in the conditional and ''que'', in the sense “rather”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As the comparative of [[bien]] it was used from the first texts with ''que'' and alone; in Old French, placed after a number, it meant “and more” (''e mielz'', 1080).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Qui mialz mialz'' (about 1170) became ''à qui mieux mieux'' (1489), perhaps a blend of ''à qui mieux'' and ''qui mieux mieux''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) From 1150 ''mieux'' also served as the superlative of ''bien'', as in ''al miels que'' (about 1150), ''du mieux que'' (1216) and ''au mieux'' (early 12th century); ''être au mieux avec quelqu'un'' dates from 1828, ''de mieux en mieux'' from about 1260 and ''tant mieux'' from the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ It has been used as an adjective (''qui mieux est'') and as a noun since 1080, ''faire son mialz'' (1176) became ''faire de son mieux'', and ''un mieux'' “an improvement in health” is found in Mme de Sévigné (1676).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 881 – ''Melz'' in the ''Séquence de sainte Eulalie''.^(TLFi)

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

+ * 1080 – ''Mielz'' as adjective and noun, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1176 – ''Faire son mialz'' in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1216 – ''Du mieux que''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1260 – ''De mieuz en mieuz''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1489 – ''À qui mieux mieux''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1676 – ''Un mieux'' “an improvement”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1828 – ''Être au mieux avec quelqu'un''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|better|alt=Better]]: ''Cette lampe éclaire mieux'', ''aller mieux'', to feel better.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Le mieux'': best: ''le mieux payé''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Aimer mieux'': to prefer, ''valoir mieux'': to be better, ''faire mieux de'': to be well advised to.^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # In phrases: ''de mieux en mieux'', ''tant mieux'', ''à qui mieux mieux'', ''au mieux''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Better: ''C'est mieux ainsi'', ''Il est mieux sans barbe.''^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Le mieux'': the best, ''faire de son mieux'', to do one's best.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Un mieux'': an [[m|en|improvement]], especially in health.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[meilleur]]

+ * [[bien]]

+ * [[la|melior]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}