gué

See also: gue, guê, güe, and gu'e

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French gué, from Old French gué (“ford”), probably from Old Frankish *wad (“ford, crossing”) (perhaps through a Vulgar Latin *wadam), from Proto-Germanic *wadą (“ford, crossing”), from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂dʰ- (“to go, pass, cross, wade”).

Also corresponds to Latin vadum (cognate to the Germanic term through Indo-European), which may have influenced or reinforced it. Compare Italian guado, Occitan ga, Catalan gual; alternative etymologies of Romance cognates derive these terms from the Latin vadum, with later influence from or crossing with the Germanic term. Cognate with Middle Dutch wat (“ford”), Old High German wat (“ford”), Old English wæd (“ford, water, sea, ocean”). More at wade.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡe/

• Audio (Paris):

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Noun

gué m (plural gués)

1. ford (crossing)

Derived terms

• changer de cheval au milieu du gué
• guéable

Further reading

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

Old French

Etymology

Of Frankish origin, from *wahtu (“vigil”).

Noun

gué oblique singular, m (oblique plural guez, nominative singular guez, nominative plural gué)

1. lookout (one who keeps watch)
2. lookout (place; building; structure)

Descendants

• French: guet