huit French · revision 16604

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 11th century, Laws of William the Conqueror (uit, oit)|origins=la octō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɥit/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Quebec): [ɥɪt]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Belgium): [wit]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ɥi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''huit''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''oit'' (about 1130), ''uit'', Middle French ''huyct'', ''huict''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary) The ⟨h⟩ was added to avoid reading ''uit'' as ''vit'', when ⟨u⟩ and ⟨v⟩ were one letter.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|uit]], [[inh|la|octō|t=eight]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|7, 305b) The ⟨h⟩, also seen in [[huile]] and [[huître]], is purely graphic; that “huit” takes no liaison or elision (“le huit”) follows the general rule for numerals, as with [[un]] and [[onze]], rather than an old aspirate.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|otto]], [[es|ocho]], [[pt|oito]], [[oc|uech]], [[ca|vuit]] and [[ro|opt]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Laws of William the Conqueror (late 11th century) have ''uit'' and ''oit deners'', Wace (1130–40) has ''oit''.^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Huit jours'' has meant “a week” since at least Palsgrave (1530), whence ''donner ses huit jours'' “to give notice” (Zola, 1887), recalling an old custom of paying a week's wages, and ''d'aujourd'hui en huit'' (Furetière, 1690).^(GLLF 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) As a noun ''huit'' is the eight of a suit of cards (1690), the figure 8, a figure-of-eight in skating (1895) and a rowing eight (1906).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 11th century – ''Uit'', ''oit'', Laws of William.^(Littré 1873)

+ * 1130–40 – ''Oit'', Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1213 – The derivative ''huitième''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1530 – ''Huit jours'' “a week”, Palsgrave.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1690 – ''Un huit de cœur'', ''d'aujourd'hui en huit'', Furetière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1895 – A figure of eight in skating.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|eight]]: ''huit ans'', ''le huit mai'', ''page huit''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Huit jours'': a week, ''lundi en huit'', a week on Monday.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The number eight; the figure 8; the eight (of a suit of cards); a figure of eight; a rowing eight.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[huitième]]

+ * [[huitaine]]

+ * [[huitain]]

+ * [[dix-huit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[octobre]]

+ * [[octave]]

+ * [[la|octō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The final ''t'' is pronounced before a vowel and at the end of a phrase, but not before a consonant: ''huit enfants'' /ɥit/, ''huit jours'' /ɥi/; there is no elision before it (''le huit'').^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}