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Where did the usage of y come from in French (to there)? As in: J'y vais. Did other Romance languages have it?

Did other Romance languages have it? It's in Castilian <hay [*ha i], as I mentioned yesterday.  I suppose Italian <vi has the same origin, and (together with <ci), approximately the same usage. == Miguel Carrasquer Vidal                     ~ ~ Amsterdam                   _____________  ~ ~ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                 |_____________||| ========================== Ce .sig n'est pas une .cig

it substitutes for any noun phrase starting with a preposition (except <de of , which is always substituted by <en), so it can mean {in/with/towards/through/about...} {it/her/him/them} etc. J'y suis, j'y parle [with], etc.  But: j'en prends, j'en parle [about]. In French y can replace a`, dans, en, sur etc., but not, say, avec; j'y parle is colloquial for je lui parle , je leur parle , not je parle avec lui  etc.  What French does for avec as a preposition is to use it as an adverb, e.g. cette fille-la`, t'as couche' avec? , but not t'y a couche' . Coby

What French does for avec as a preposition is to use it as an adverb, e.g. cette fille-la`, t'as couche' avec? , but not t'y a couche' . You're absolutely correct: t'y as couche' doesn't sound French at all. == Miguel Carrasquer Vidal                     ~ ~ Amsterdam                   _____________  ~ ~ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                 |_____________||| ========================== Ce .sig n'est pas une .cig

You're absolutely correct: t'y as couche' doesn't sound French at all. Yes, it does, but it means: you slept there .

You're absolutely correct: t'y as couche' doesn't sound French at all. Yes, it does, but it means: you slept there . Bien sûr. == Miguel Carrasquer Vidal                     ~ ~ Amsterdam                   _____________  ~ ~ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                 |_____________||| ========================== Ce .sig n'est pas une .cig