autrui

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French autrui, from Vulgar Latin *alterui, alteration (after cui) of Latin alterī, dative singular of alter. Compare lui.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o.tʁɥi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɥi

Pronoun

autrui m

1. (chiefly literary) others; other people; someone else

   Il ne faut pas faire mal à autrui.

   One should not do harm to others.

   • 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince:

     Il est bien plus difficile de se juger soi-même que de juger autrui.

     It is more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others.

   • 1994, Yasmina Reza, ‘Art’:

     Yvan. Dès l’instant qu’il n’y a pas de préjudice pour autrui…

     From the moment there is not prejudice for others…

Usage notes

• In line with its etymology, autrui is only exceptionally used as a subject. It is commonest after prepositions.

Further reading

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

Old French

Alternative forms

• altrui

Etymology

From altre, whence French autre.

Pronoun

autrui

1. others (other people)

See also

• nului