aboyer

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French

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Etymology

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From Old French abayer, abaüer, probably of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Latin baubari, Italian abbaiare.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /a.bwa.je/
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

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aboyer

  1. (intransitive, of a dog) to bark
  2. (intransitive) to scream at or inveigh against somebody
  3. (transitive, usually derogatory) to scream or yell in short bouts; to bark
    Il aboie des ordres sans s’arrêter pour respirer
    He barks orders without pausing to breathe.

Usage notes

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  • To mark the target of the barking, the usual preposition is après; less common is contre, while à is dated.

Conjugation

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This verb is part of a large group of -er verbs that conjugate like noyer or ennuyer. These verbs always replace the 'y' with an 'i' before a silent 'e'.

Derived terms

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Further reading

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