ja mais

See also: jamais

Old French

Alternative forms

ja més, ja mes, james

Etymology

From ja +‎ mais. Cf. Old Occitan ja mais.

Adverb

any more, ever again
(later) ever

Usage notes

Until the thirteenth century, it was only used to refer to the future.

Descendants

French: jamais (“ever, never”)
Norman: janmais
Walloon: djamåy

References

Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “jam”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume 5: J L, page 28

Old Occitan

Alternative forms

ja may

Etymology

Cf. Old French ja mais.

Adverb

ever(?)

Descendants

Occitan: jamai, jamei, jamés
→ Old Galician-Portuguese: jamais
- Galician: xamais
- Portuguese: jamais
→ Old Spanish: jamás
- Spanish: jamás

References

Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1991) “ya”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), volume VI (Y–Z), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 10
Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “jam”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume 5: J L, page 26