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The Louis Segond translation of Matthew 17:17 is the first place I've seen « jusques » :

Jusques à quand

Ngrams suggests that it's out of use and Wiktionary says it's vieilli.

Wiktionary also says it's paragogic and pronounced /ʒys.kə.z‿/, with which one dictionary entry agrees, and the TLF has similar notes:

jusques devant voyelle par raison d'euphonie : jusques à quand? jusques aujourd'hui, jusques à hier, jusques à tantôt, etc.

Google Translate on the other hand probably foolishly pronounces it without liaison, as though there were no "s". Larousse's online edition redirects to jusque or suggests the fixed expression jusques et y compris, without a pronunciation guide. A couple of other dictionaries omit the word altogether.

Question: Is it then right to say that jusques à quand is pronounced /ʒys.kə.za.kɑ̃/ ?

Question: Will I see such expressions anywhere outside old-fashioned translations of the Bible?

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  • B.B. Initials de Gainsbourg: "Jusques en haut des cuisses elle est bottée, et c'est comme un calice à sa beauté". La chanson n'est guère si vieille !
    – Chewie
    Mar 27, 2018 at 13:27
  • @Chewie Neither is La ronde des jurons much more than a half-century old, but I don't take it for my phrasebook of gros mots ;) But the point is taken!
    – Luke Sawczak ♦
    Mar 27, 2018 at 13:32
  • Would you consider your question is a dupe to this one? There's nothing about pronunciation in my answer, I would add it depends if you need to liaise and add an extra syllable, in poetry for example.
    – None
    Oct 28, 2019 at 7:56
  • french.stackexchange.com/q/8395/358
    – None
    Oct 28, 2019 at 7:56
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    @LukeSawczak Anyway I downvoted the accepted answer, the s is not there "only for additionnal prononciation", it has nothing to do with the pronunciation. And it is possible to find the use of jusques in 20th century literature. The other answer at least, does not say anything wrong.
    – None
    Oct 28, 2019 at 10:47

2 Answers 2

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The only "not so awkward" use of jusques in nowaday language would be in the expression jusques et y compris, which means until and including. And yes, it is said \ʒys.kə.z‿e i kɔ̃.pʁi\.

Any other use would be very dated, or poetic. The use in Initials B.B. mentioned above was clearly to fit the song's rythm (one syllable more with the "s")

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Question: Is it then right to say that jusques à quand is pronounced /ʒys.kə.za.kɑ̃/ ?
Yes I think so, actually the +s is here only for additionnal prononciation.

Question: Will I see such expressions anywhere outside old-fashioned translations of the Bible?
Probably in several other old texts. It is never used nowadays, except rarely in some poetry.

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  • Saying "the +s is here only for additional pronunciation." is not correct. This "s" is called "adverbial s" and was added to some words (adverbs, prepositions...) (encores, mêmes, presques, etc.) that didn't have one by analogy to those adverbs (and there are several) that had one because of their Latin etymology (plus, moins, certes, etc.)
    – None
    Oct 28, 2019 at 7:50

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