selon French · revision 17178

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=12th century, Vie de saint Alexis (sulunc)|origins=la-vul *sublongum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sə.lɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''selon''' (preposition)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''sulunc'', ''solonc'', ''selunc'', ''selonc'', ''selon'' from about 1175.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Forms with final ⟨c⟩ last into the 16th century.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|sulunc]], probably from popular Latin [[inh|la-vul|*sublongum|t=along]], from [[m|la|sub|t=under; close to]] and [[m|la|longum]] (see [[long]]); Old French “lonc” itself meant both “along” and “according to”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The earliest form “sulunc” supports this view.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Others see a crossing of [[m|fro|long]] with the Old French preposition [[m|fro|son|t=according to]] (about 1165), from [[m|la|secundum|t=following, according to]] (see [[second]]), at an unrecorded stage “*seon”; the Latin word gave [[pro|segon]] and the other Romance words.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Larousse) Bloch and Wartburg and Rey object that this explains “sulunc” badly.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992) Wiktionary suggests that “*sublongum” may be a calque of Frankish “*galang” “according to”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[ca|segons]], [[es|según]], [[pt|segundo]] and [[it|secondo]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the 12th-century manuscript of the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' ''sulunc'' means “according to, in conformity with”, ''sulunc sainte escripture'' is in Philippe de Thaon (1121–34).^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The conjunction ''sulunc ceo que'' “according as” is in the ''Lois de Guillaume'' (about 1130), and with a person's name ''selon'' gives an opinion (1174–76, Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence), as in ''l'Évangile selon saint Matthieu'' (1550).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) The literal sense “along” is in Chrétien de Troyes (1181–90) and was usual until the 16th century, Flaubert still uses it.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) ''C'est selon'' “it depends” is in Pascal (1656–57), and the short ''selon'' in Molière's ''Tartuffe'' (1664).^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1121–34 – ''Sulunc sainte escripture'', Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1130 – ''Sulunc ceo que''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – The form ''selon''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1181–90 – “Along”, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1656–57 – ''C'est selon'', Pascal.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|according to]], in accordance with: ''selon les règles'', ''à chacun selon ses besoins''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Depending on: ''selon le temps'', ''selon que'', according as.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # According to (someone's opinion): ''selon moi'', ''selon les experts'', ''l'Évangile selon saint Jean''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''C'est selon'': it depends.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' Along: ''selon la rive''.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[long]]

+ * [[second]]

+ * [[suivant]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}