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by allanbz on January 19th, 2005

allanbz

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What is the origin of the French word "Qu'est-ce que c'est"?

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  • by Quinn Adkins on January 20th, 2005

    Quinn Adkins

    French features apostrophes (') in phrases where vowels or vowel sounds occur in words next to one another.
    The literal phrase would read: Quoi est ce que ce est?
    Or "What is this that it is?"
    In written French, this is too unwieldy, so it is shortened, with the use of apostrophes to denote the abbreviation: "Qu'est-ce que c'est", which is translated into English as "What is this?"

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    • Realized this would happen. Actually looking for history, why phrase is so much wordier than Latin "quid est"? Thanks though.

      allanbz

      by allanbz on February 2nd, 2005

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