déjà French · revision 16340

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 1275, Jean de Meun, Roman de la Rose}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /de.ʒa/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /dʒa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''déjà'''^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Des ja'' (about 1275), ''desja'' (1465); the Académie wrote ''desja'' in 1694 and 1718 and ''déjà'' from 1740.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|fro|des|ja]], the agglutination of the old adverbial phrase “des ja”, from [[dès]] and Old French “ja” “now, at once”, also found in [[jadis]] and [[jamais]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|5, 26a) “Ja” comes from [[la|iam|t=now, already; presently; a moment ago]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In “des ja” it did not mean “already” but “at once”, a sense Latin “iam” had with a present or future verb.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) “Déjà” displaced “ja” in the 16th century, “ja” was later revived as an archaism and remains usual in eastern dialects.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ “Ja” is cognate with [[it|già]], [[es|ya]] and [[pro|ja]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found about 1275 in Jean de Meun's part of the ''Roman de la Rose'' as ''des ja'' “from now on”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Desja'' meant “from that moment (in the past)” in 1465 (Commynes) and “before, at some earlier moment” before 1549 (Marguerite de Navarre).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In familiar use it reinforces a statement, marking that a partial result has been reached (1604), and at the end of a question asks for something known but forgotten (''comment s'appelle-t-il, déjà ?''), first recorded in 1827.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) It is used as a noun in ''le déjà-vu'' (1908) and appears in ''d'ores et déjà''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1275 – ''Des ja'' “from now on”, in Jean de Meun.^(TLFi)

+ * 1465 – ''Desja'' “from that moment”, in Commynes.^(TLFi)

+ * Before 1549 – “Previously”, in Marguerite de Navarre.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – Replaces Old French ''ja''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1604 – Reinforcing a statement, in Montchrestien.^(TLFi)

+ * 1827 – At the end of a question.^(BHVF)

+ * 1908 – ''Le déjà-vu''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|already|alt=Already]], by now: ''Il est déjà quatre heures.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Already, by then, in the past or future: ''Quand il arriva, son ami était déjà parti.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Before, previously: ''Je vous l'ai déjà dit.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Reinforcing a statement: ''C'est déjà pas mal.''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' At the end of a question: again: ''Comment vous appelez-vous, déjà ?''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(informal)'' For a start, firstly.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[déjà-vu]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[jamais]]

+ * [[jadis]]

+ * [[dès]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}