eux French · revision 16377

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 980, Fragment de Valenciennes (eus, els)|origins=la ille}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|els]], [[inh|la|illōs]], the accusative masculine plural of [[m|la|ille|t=that]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|4, 551a) It is the stressed form corresponding to [[ils]], and the plural of [[lui]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Bloch and Wartburg note that “eux” is the usual form in northern Gallo-Romance dialects, “els” (Old Occitan “els”) in the south, and “leur” in the Franco-Provençal area.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Cognate with [[es|ellos]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The 10th-century ''Fragment de Valenciennes'' has ''eus'' and ''els'': ''E de cel peril que super els metreiet'' “and of that danger that he would bring upon them”.^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ At first ''eux'' was only an object pronoun after a preposition; from the 16th century it also served as a stressed subject (''eux refuseront'') and as an emphatic form in apposition (''ils le savent bien, eux'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989) In Canadian French ''eux autres'' is used, on the model of ''nous autres'', ''vous autres''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 980 – ''Eus'', ''els'' in the ''Fragment de Valenciennes''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Li quels d'els deuz'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * 14th century – The spelling ''eux''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 16th century – Used as a stressed subject.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|them]], after a preposition: ''avec eux'', ''chez eux'', ''l'un d'eux''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # They, as a stressed subject: ''eux ont refusé''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # For emphasis: ''ils le savent bien, eux'', ''eux-mêmes'', themselves.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(Canada)'' ''Eux autres'': they, them.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[il]]

+ * [[lui]]

+ * [[elle]]

+ * [[la|ille]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}