beffroi

French

Etymology

From Northern Old French berfroi (“movable siege tower”), from Middle High German bercfrit (“protecting shelter”, literally “that which watches over peace”), from bergen (“to protect”) + frid (“peace”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

beffroi m (plural beffrois)

1. belfry, bell tower

Further reading

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