jusques

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒysk/

Preposition

jusques

1. (archaic, literary) Alternative form of jusque

Usage notes

• An alternative form of jusque, now quite rare, having fallen far out of habitual use. In centuries passed, it was used, quite commonly, instead of jusque when the first letter of the following word began with a vowel or mute h: the final "s" would form a phonetic liaison with the following vowel, resulting in the pronunciation IPA^(key): /ʒys.kəz‿/.

Nowadays, jusques is used almost exclusively in high literature — especially in oratorical or poetic styles, or for reasons of euphony. It is still used occasionally in some set phrases, sometimes being the only traditionally permissible form. Such is the case with the phrase jusques et y compris (which Larousse identifies as the only current use of jusques not exclusive to literature ), though the form jusqu’à et y compris exists.

Derived terms

• jusques et non compris
• jusques et y compris

 

Further reading

• “jusques”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.