aïeul

French

Etymology

From Old French aiol, aiuel, from Vulgar Latin *aviolus (see for cognates), diminutive of Latin avus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.jœl/

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Noun

aïeul m (plural aïeux or aïeuls, feminine aïeule)

1. ancestor
2. (by extension) grandfather
3. (by extension) old man

Usage notes

The plural forms aïeuls/aïeules are used to specify one's own grandfathers or grandmothers; the form aïeux can mean unspecified ancestors in a more generic sense, as in all relatives who have lived before one.

Derived terms

• bisaïeul
• trisaïeul

Further reading

• “aïeul” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).