dessus French · revision 17255

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1119, Philippe de Thaon (desus)|origins=la sūrsum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /də.sy/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Louisiana): /tsy/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Louisiana): /desyr/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dessus'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''desuz'', ''desus'' (1119), ''dessus'' from 1165; beside them ''desor'', ''desur'', from [[la|dēsuper]].^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|desus]], [[inh|la-lat|dēsūrsum|t=from above]], a compound of [[m|la|dē]] and [[m|la|sūrsum|t=up, upward]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|12, 463b) “Dēsūrsum” was a word of popular Latin under the Empire, condemned by Quintilian as a barbarism; it appears in Christian writers as preposition and adverb, usually spelled “desusum”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It was probably formed on the model of the older “dē super”, with which it competed: Old French had both “desus” and “desor”, “desur”, and “desus” won.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) “Sūrsum” itself is formed from [[m|la|sub]] and “versum”.^(DHLF 1992) The Robert dictionaries describe it as French [[de]] with [[sur]] or [[sus]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ Compare [[pro|desobre]] and [[it|disopra]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Philippe de Thaon (1119) uses ''la desus'' “on that subject”; the ''Chanson de Roland'' has the related ''desuz'' and ''desur'': ''allez sedeir desur cel paile blanc'' “go and sit upon that white cloak”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 12th century it meant “in a higher position” (Wace, 1155, ''desus e desuz''), and formed ''par desus'' (about 1176) and ''en dessus'' (about 1195).^(TLFi) As a preposition it was common in Old French (about 1150) but gave way to [[sur]] in the 17th century, Furetière (1701) notes that ''sur'' is more usual, and ''dessus'' survives only after another preposition: ''de dessus'', ''par-dessus''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ As a noun it is found from 1155 in ''avoir le dessus'' “to have the upper hand”, and it gave ''au-dessus'' and ''au-dessus de''.^(DHLF 1992) It names the top of an object (1393), in music the highest part (1458), and in building objects placed above others (''dessus-de-porte'', 1653) and the upper floor (1694); ''dessus-de-lit'' dates from 1870.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1119 – ''La desus'' “on that subject”, Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1150 – As a preposition, ''Voyage de Charlemagne''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1155 – ''Avoir le dessus'', ''desus e desuz'', Wace.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+ * 1393 – The top of an object.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1458 – The highest part in music.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1701 – Furetière notes that ''sur'' is preferred as a preposition.^(TLFi)

+ * 1870 – ''Dessus-de-lit''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # On it, on top: ''l'adresse est dessus'', ''asseyez-vous dessus''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Là-dessus'': on that; thereupon; about that.^(Littré 1873)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Au-dessus'': above, ''au-dessus de'', above, over; beyond.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Bras dessus, bras dessous'': arm in arm, ''sens dessus dessous'', upside down.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(dated)'' On, upon; now only in ''de dessus'' and ''par-dessus'': ''ôtez cela de dessus la table'', ''sauter par-dessus le mur''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The top, upper side: ''le dessus de la main'', ''les voisins du dessus'', the upstairs neighbours.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''Avoir, prendre le dessus'': to have, gain the upper hand; to get over something.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Le dessus du panier'': the pick of the bunch.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # A cover: ''dessus-de-lit'', ''dessus-de-plat''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(music, dated)'' The highest part or voice; the treble instrument: ''dessus de viole''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[au-dessus]]

+ * [[ci-dessus]]

+ * [[là-dessus]]

+ * [[par-dessus]]

+ * [[pardessus]]

+ * [[dessus-de-lit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dessous]]

+ * [[sus]]

+ * [[sur]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}