caillou
See also: Caillou
French edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Norman caillou, from Old French caillou, kailleu, caillo, caliou, cailloun, calloun, related to Judeo-Old French chailos, chaillous and Old French chaille (“small stone, pebble”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a Transalpine Gaulish *caljo- or less likely allied to Old Dutch kei (“stone”), from Proto-West Germanic *kagi.
Compare Picard cailleu, Walloon caie; also Dutch kei (“stone, rock”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
caillou m (plural cailloux)
Usage notes edit
Only seven words in French ending in -ou have their plurals in -oux instead of -ous: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou, pou.
Related terms edit
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “caillou”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle French edit
Etymology edit
Likely related to the origin of Old French gal (“small pebble”).
Noun edit
caillou m (plural caillous)