certainement French · revision 16807

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1165, Gautier d'Arras, Eracle}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɛʁ.tɛn.mɑ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''certainement'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|fr|certain|-ment]], on the feminine of the adjective.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) The TLFi notes that the date 1138 (the Life of Saint Giles), given by some dictionaries, is wrong, since that text dates from the last third of the 12th century.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ Compare [[pro|certanamen]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Gautier d'Arras's ''Eracle'' (about 1165) is the first record;^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) Chrétien de Troyes has ''Car tu sais bien certainement'', “for you know it for sure”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old and Middle French it meant “for sure, with certainty”, often with verbs of knowing: ''il sot certainement que c'estoit ses sires'' (''Chronique de Reims'').^(Littré 1873) The TLFi marks as dated the sense “in a way that guarantees the outcome”; in modern French it is mainly a reinforcement of an assertion, an affirmative answer, and by extension “very probably”.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) ''Certainement que…'' “certainly…” is in Maupassant.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1165 – Gautier d'Arras, ''Eracle''.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – ''Sachiez certainement'', ''Berte aus grans piés''.^(Littré 1873)

+ * 1694 – Recorded by the Académie.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|certainly]], without doubt: ''cela arrivera certainement''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Reinforcing an assertion: ''il est certainement le plus doué''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(as an answer)'' Certainly, of course: ''Viendrez-vous demain ? — Certainement.''^(GLLF 1989)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Very [[m|en|probably]]: ''il avait certainement trop bu''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Certainement que…'': it is certain that.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[certain]]

+ * [[certes]]

+ * [[certitude]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}