aïeul

French

Etymology

From Old French aiol, aiuel, from Vulgar Latin *aviolus, diminutive of Latin avus. Template:coglist

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.jœl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

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 [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.