enfant

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French enfant, from Old French enfant, from Latin īnfantem.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɑ̃.fɑ̃/
  • (file)
  • Homophone: enfants
  • Rhymes: -ɑ̃

Noun

enfant m or f by sense (plural enfants)

  1. child (someone who is not yet an adult)
  2. child (offspring of any age)
  3. son, native (of a place)
    enfant de ParisParis native
    enfant des États-Unisnative of the United States
    enfant du paysnative of the country

Usage notes

Rarely used as a feminine noun.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Saint Dominican Creole French: z'enfant

See also

Further reading

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French enfant.

Noun

enfant m (plural enfanz)

  1. child

Descendants

Occitan

Alternative forms

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Latin īnfāns, īnfāntem.

Noun

enfant m (plural enfants)

  1. child
  • enfantet

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Latin īnfāntem, accusative singular of īnfāns. The nominative form enfes derives from the Latin nominative form īnfāns.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (early) /ẽnˈfãnt/, (late) /ãnˈfãnt/ (after lowering of nasalized vowels)

Noun

enfant oblique singular, m (oblique plural enfanz, nominative singular enfes, nominative plural enfant)

  1. child
    • 13th century, Herman de Valenciennes, Assomption Nostre Dame, page 8, column 1, line 28:
      totes les puceles & trestuit li enfant
      All the young women and all the children

Descendants

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