clavier

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French clavier (“keyboard”), from Latin clavis (“key”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklævɪɚ/, /kləˈvɪɚ/
• Rhymes: -ævɪə(ɹ), -ɪə(ɹ)

Noun

clavier (plural claviers)

1. (music) The keyboard of an organ, pianoforte, or harmonium.
   • 1870, A Description of the Grand Organ in the Town Hall, Leeds:

     […] play certain of the stops in octaves to each other, while merely touching single notes on the clavier

Related terms

• clavichord
• clavicle
• clavis
• nom de clavier

References

“clavier”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• caliver, caviler, valeric, velaric

French

Etymology

Formed from the root of Latin clāvis (whence French clef), with the suffix -ier. Cf. also Medieval Latin clāvārius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kla.vje/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -e
• Homophone: claviers

Noun

clavier m (plural claviers)

1. keyboard (of a computer)
2. keyboard (musical instrument)
3. (archaic) keyring
4. (slang) mouth, teeth

Derived terms

• clavarder
• claviériste
• raccourci clavier

Descendants

• → English: clavier
• → German: Klavier
  • → Romanian: clavir
• → Portuguese: cravo
• → Swedish: klaver
• → Turkish: klavye

Further reading

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