combien French · revision 17407

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 1120, Voyage de Charlemagne}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɔ̃.bjɛ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''combien'''^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Cumben'' (before 1120), ''cumbien'' (1130–1160).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from Old French [[m|fro|com|t=how, as]] (see [[comme]]) and [[bien]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Littré 1873) “Com” continues [[la|quōmodo|t=how]].^(FEW|2, 1543b)

+

+ Littré compares [[wa|kiben]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found as ''cumben'' in the ''Voyage de Charlemagne'' (before 1120), asking a quantity: ''Entre or fin e argent gardet cumben i ad'' “he looks at how much fine gold and silver there is”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French it already asked about quantity, absolutely or before a noun, and especially about time (about 1155, Wace), later made explicit by ''combien de temps'', and about money (about 1190, ''por combien''), still current in ''c'est combien ?''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From the 12th century it is used before a verb, and, from the 16th before an adjective or adverb with an intensive value, especially in exclamations (Rabelais, 1534).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ The conjunction ''combien que'' “although” (about 1175) lasted until the 17th century, Richelet called it obsolete in 1680.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) As a noun, Agrippa d'Aubigné has ''se mettre sur le combien'' “to haggle”; spoken French now says ''le combien'' for the day of the month and ''tous les combien ?'' “how often?”, and has formed ''combientième'' (1934).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1120 – ''Cumben'' in the ''Voyage de Charlemagne''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1155 – Of time, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – ''Combien que'' “although”, in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1190 – ''Por combien'' “for how much”, in the ''Roman de Renart''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1534 – Before an adjective, in Rabelais.^(TLFi)

+ * 1934 – ''Combientième''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''Combien de'': how much, how many: ''combien de livres a-t-il ?''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # How much (absolutely): of price, distance or time: ''combien ça coûte ?'', ''combien êtes-vous ?''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # How, to what extent, in exclamations: ''combien il a changé !''^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Le combien'': the date, the day of the month, ''tous les combien ?'': how often?^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[comme]]

+ * [[bien]]

+ * [[comment]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}