êfant

See also: efant

Norman

Alternative forms

• effànt (Guernsey)

Etymology

From Old French enfant, probably borrowed from Latin infans, infantem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛːfɑ̃/

Noun

êfant m or f (plural êfants)

1. (Jersey) child
   • 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎^[1], pages 530-31:

     Février dit à Janvier:—'Si j'étais à votre pièche je f'rais gelaïr le pots sus le faeu et les p'tits éfàns aux seins de leurs mères'—et pour son ìmpudence i' fut raccourchi de daeux jours, et Janvier fut aloigni.

     February said to January:—If I were in your place I would cause the pots to freeze on the fire, and babes at their mothers' breasts—and for his insolence he was shortened of two days, and January was lengthened.

Derived terms

• êfant d'galiotage (“bastard”)
• gardeux d'êfants, gardeuse d'êfants (“babysitter”)