certes French · revision 17563

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la cernō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɛʁt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''certes'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[inh|la-vul|*certās]], the feminine accusative plural of [[la|certus|t=fixed, sure]] used as an adverb, which replaced classical [[m|la|certō|t=certainly]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005) Bloch and Wartburg and Rey compare [[m|la-vul|*prīmās]], which gave Old French [[m|fro|primes]] “first”, and the TLFi the Latin adverb [[m|la|forās|t=outside]], an accusative plural.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) [[m|la|certus|alt=Certus]] was the old past participle of [[m|la|cernō|t=to sift, decide]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Cognate with [[ca|certes]] and [[pro|certas]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873) Littré instead took it from the phrase [[m|fro|à certes]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) a character says ''Certes, ne sai cui antercier'' “Truly, I do not know whom to ask”;^(TLFi) the ''Chanson de Roland'' has ''Non ferez certes, dist li quens Oliviers''.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 16th century it was an everyday word with several nuances, including “seriously, attentively”, and phrases such as ''à certes'' “in earnest” and ''pour certes'', now gone.^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) In the 16th century it was so common an exclamation among the Huguenots that it was used as a nickname for them.^(DHLF 1992) The Grand Robert notes that it was already ageing in the 17th century; it survives in affirmation and, above all, in concession (''certes…, mais…''), and in speech it now sounds affected.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992) A rare variant ''certe'', recorded by Cotgrave in 1611, was used as a poetic licence by Marot, La Fontaine, Molière and Hugo.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – In the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – In the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 16th century – A nickname for the Huguenots.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1611 – Cotgrave records the variant ''certe''.^(TLFi)

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

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(literary or dated)'' [[m|en|certainly|alt=Certainly]], [[m|en|indeed]]: ''certes, il a raison'', ''oui, certes !''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(formal)'' As an answer: yes, of course.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Marking a [[m|en|concession]]: [[m|en|admittedly]]: ''il l'a dit, certes, mais il s'est contredit le lendemain''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[certain]]

+ * [[certitude]]

+ * [[la|certus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}