embonpoint

English

WOTD - 10 June 2011    

Etymology

From French embonpoint.

Pronunciation

• enPR: äɴbôɴpwĕɴ, IPA: /ɑ̃bɔ̃pwɛ̃/, SAMPA: /A_~bO_~pwE_~/

Noun

embonpoint (plural embonpoints)

1. Plumpness, stoutness, especially when voluptuous.
   • 1911, J.M. Barrie, Peter and Wendy:

     She was slightly inclined to embonpoint.

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     The beautiful woman threw off her sabletrimmed wrap, displaying her queenly shoulders and heaving embonpoint.

Translations

plumpness

Finnish: muodokkuus (fi)

Russian: полнота (ru) f., дородность (ru) f.

Adjective

embonpoint (comparative more embonpoint, superlative most embonpoint)

1. Plump, chubby, buxom.

Translations

plump, chubby, buxom

Finnish: muodokas (fi)

Russian: полный (ru), дородный (ru)

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French

Etymology

From en bon point, literally ‘in good condition’.

The rule in French is to write /n/ as /m/ in front of /m, p/ or /b/ - here the rule is applied to the first /n/ but not the second since the rule does not apply to the words derived from bon : bonbon, bonbonne and bonbonnière.

Pronunciation

• IPA:

Noun

embonpoint m. (plural embonpoints)

1. Plumpness, stoutness

   Quoique La Brière fût alors mince, il appartient à ce genre de tempéraments qui, formés tard, prennent à trente ans un embonpoint inattendu. (Honoré de Balzac, Modeste Mignon, 1844)

Synonyms

• obésité
• surpoids