allau

Catalan

Alternative forms

• llau

Etymology

From earlier llau f, with the definite article la llau interpreted as l'allau. Llau is from Latin lābēs (“fall”), from lābor (“to slip”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əˈʎaw]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [aˈʎaw]
• Rhymes: -aw

Noun

allau f (plural allaus)

1. avalanche (large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side)
2. (by extension) barrage, avalanche (sudden, great, or irresistible descent or influx of anything)

   una allau de gent ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 2020 October 10, Àngels Piñol, “Un ‘blues’ per a l’històric carrer Ferran”, in El País‎^[1]:

     Habituada a viure del turisme, el carrer Ferran sembla un escenari inanimat, esborrades ja les allaus de visitants que la recorrien camí de Sant Jaume o la Rambla.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Synonyms

• llavei

Further reading

• allau on the Catalan Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^ca
• “allau” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “allau” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.