babiole

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian babbola. The suffix is influenced by frequent forms such as bestiole, cabriole.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.bjɔl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

babiole f (plural babioles)

1. useless or worthless thing; a trinket [from 16th century]

   Mais surtout n'va pas dépenser plus qu'il ne faut. N'achète pas un tas de rubans et de babioles qui ne servent à rien.

   But especially don't go spend more than necessary. Don't buy a bunch of ribbons and useless trinkets.

   • 2019, Fabrizio Dori, Le dieu vagabond, Paris: Sarbacane, translation of Il dio vagabondo, →ISBN, page 122:

     Je… C'est une longue histoire. Je cherche une babiole, un sphinx.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

References

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

Further reading

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