ouais French · revision 17427

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=onomatopoeia|attested=1464, Farce de Maître Pathelin}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /wɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The usual view is that it is an altered form of [[oui]], under the influence of dialect forms or through careless pronunciation, which matches speakers' own feeling, Bloch and Wartburg call it an expressive distortion of “oui”, “ouais” being common for “oui” in country speech.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) Rey notes that this may fit only the recent use for “yes”.^(DHLF 1992) The Romanian linguist D. Bugeanu proposed instead the imperative plural “oyez !” “hear!” of [[ouïr]], as in [[en|oyez]], used as an interjection since 1286, with a shift from “listen!” to surprise like that of [[ro|auzi|t=listen!]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert simply call it an onomatopoeia.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the ''Farce de Maître Pathelin'' (1464) as ''ouay !'', an interjection of surprise.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 15th to the 17th century ''ouais'' expressed doubt, perplexity or surprise, as in Molière's ''Ouais ! Quel est donc le trouble où je vous vois paraître ?''^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) In the 20th century it became a familiar synonym of ''oui'', often casual, ironic or sceptical, ''mouais'' marks still more doubt.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1464 – ''Ouay !'' in ''Pathelin''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''Hoüay''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1656 – The spelling ''ouais''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 20th century – ''Ouais'' “yeah”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''(familiar)'' Yeah, [[m|en|yes]], often casual, ironic or doubtful.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(dated)'' An exclamation of [[m|en|surprise]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mouais]]

+ * [[ouaip]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[oui]]

+ * [[ouïr]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}