Have a read of a book by Guy Deutscher, although I forget its nameAs part of a protracted explanation of how case structures and vocabulary grows in languages, he points out that 'Aujourd'ui' is now used so commonly that many French are using 'Au jour d'aujiord'ui' which translates as 'On the day of the day of today'. His point is that when the language gets worn down enough, users feel the need to emphasise certain traits. So where originally 'hui' meant 'today', by the Middle Ages it was used so frequently in the sense 'these days' that the need was to emphasise 'today', hence 'au jour d'ui'. Now that 'aujourd'ui' is used so frequently to mean 'at the present time' or 'these days', speakers are introducing 'au jour d'aujourd'ui' to denote 'today'. In a few hundred years time, expect 'au jour d'aujourd'dauhourd'ui'.
He then points out that English speakers shouldn't look so smug because the word 'upon' means something like 'on top of the thing above the on top'.
(He then points out that English speakers shouldn't look so smug because the word 'upon' means something like 'on top of the thing above the on top'.
boris the spider,
Sun 9 Dec 2012, 20:49,
archived)