A Selection from the Comedies of Marivaux

by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux

[83] D'AVEC. A shortened form for some such phrase as d'une conversation avec. D'avec is generally to be translated 'from,' 'in contradiction to.'

[84] A QUEL HOMME EN VEUT-IL? 'For what man is he looking?' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 68.

[85] A VOUS. Auprès de vous would be the modern expression.

[86] LE FAISANT SORTIR. Note the peculiar use of le, which nowadays would be replaced by the noun to which it refers—le garçon.

[87] DONT. Better que. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175.

[88] DESSUS. For là-dessus.

[89] SANS DIFFICULTÉ. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 154.

[90] DE NE VOUS PAS AIMER. De ne pas vous aimer is the more natural order in modern French.

[91] IL N'A QUE FAIRE DE, 'He has no need to.' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note, 141.

[92] C'EST UN PORTRAIT DE FEMME. The construction of the sentence is peculiar and incomplete. It requires the introduction, before c'est un portrait, of the words c'est que. In modern French the awkwardness of this form would be obviated. In the second clause que would have to be prefixed to c'est ici.