euh French · revision 16695

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=onomatopoeia|attested=1662, Molière, L'École des femmes}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ø/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /œ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''euh''' (interjection); also written ''heu''^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is an onomatopoeia.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1668 and add that it is obviously older.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Molière's ''École des femmes'' (1662) uses it to express annoyance or irritation.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Since the early 18th century it has expressed hesitation, doubt and embarrassment, as in Regnard's ''Légataire universel'' (1708): ''Et sa fille Isabelle, euh ! la connois-tu ?''^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Racine's ''Plaideurs'' (1668) uses it to render a cough, and writers use it more generally to note inarticulate sounds.^(TLFi) The Académie recorded it in 1878.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1662 – Annoyance, Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1668 – A cough, Racine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1708 – Hesitation, Regnard.^(TLFi)

+ * 1878 – In the Académie's dictionary.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Er, um: marks hesitation, doubt or embarrassment, or the search for a word.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Used to put off answering a question.^(TLFi)

+ # ''(written)'' Represents an inarticulate sound, a grunt or cough.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}