ah French · revision 16360

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=onomatopoeia|attested=mid-11th century, Vie de saint Alexis (a)|origins=la ah}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|a]], [[inh|la|ah|t=ah!]], an expressive word.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|24, 1a) Latin “ah” (or “a”) is found from Plautus onward, both for strong feelings and to add force to a sentence; the form [[m|la|aha]] is also in Plautus.^(TLFi) Bloch and Wartburg simply call it an onomatopoeia.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the mid-11th century the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' uses ''a'' to express grief: ''A las pechables'' “ah, wretched sinners”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Chrétien de Troyes uses it for admiration (''Ha, dame, or dites vos mout bien'', 1177) and for surprise (1177–79); doubled, it expressed indignation by 1217.^(TLFi) As a mere intensifier opening a sentence it is found in Racine (1667).^(TLFi) Molière made it a noun in 1666, in ''Le Misanthrope'': ''des ahs''.^(TLFi) Doubled, ''ah ! ah !'' also transcribes laughter.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mid-11th century – ''A'' in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1177 – ''Ha'' for admiration in Chrétien de Troyes's ''Yvain''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1217 – ''Ha ! Ha !'' for indignation in Gautier de Coinci.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – The spelling ''ah''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1666 – The noun ''des ahs'' in Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1667 – Used for emphasis in Racine's ''Andromaque''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Ah!, expressing a strong feeling: joy, pain, [[m|en|admiration]], impatience.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # For [[m|en|emphasis]]: ''Ah ! j'y pense, pouvez-vous venir demain ?''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Doubled, ''ah ! ah !'': surprise or perplexity; also laughter.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # In set phrases: ''ah bon !'', ''ah oui ?'', ''ah mais !''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''Des oh ! et des ah !'': exclamations.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ha]]

+ * [[aha]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}