oiseau

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French oyseau, from Old French oisel c. 1100, from Late Latin aucellus m (little bird), a diminutive ultimately based on Latin avis f (bird), from Proto-Italic *awis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis. Compare Norman ouaîsé, Franco-Provençal usél.

Compare also the French oie (goose), derived from another diminutive of avis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /wa.zo/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • (Louisiana) IPA(key): [zwɒzo], [zozo]

Noun

oiseau m (plural oiseaux, feminine oiselle)

  1. bird

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Antillean Creole: zwazo
  • Haitian Creole: zwazo
  • Louisiana Creole: zozo, zwazo
  • Mauritian Creole: zwazo
  • Seychellois Creole: zwazo

Further reading

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