biais

French

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Old Occitan biais (“oblique direction”), of uncertain origin. Possibly via Vulgar Latin *bigassius from Ancient Greek ἐπικάρσιος (epikársios, “athwart”), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + κάρσιος (kársios, “oblique”) (root Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)); alternatively (preferred by TFLi) from Vulgar Latin *biaxius "with two axes".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bjɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Homophone: billet

Noun

biais m (invariable)

1. means, way

   Near-synonyms: intermédiaire, truchement

   par le biais de ― by way of, by means of

2. angle, aspect, way
3. (textiles) bias
4. slant, diagonal line
5. (sociology, psychology) bias

   biais cognitif ― cognitive bias

   biais de sélection ― selection bias

   biais de confirmation ― confirmation bias

Derived terms

• biaisé

Adjective

biais (feminine biaise, masculine plural biais, feminine plural biaises)

1. slant, slanting

Descendants

• → English: bias
• → Portuguese: viés
• → Spanish: bies
• → Turkish: biye

Further reading

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

Occitan

Etymology

From Old Occitan biais. From the 12th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bjajs/

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Noun

biais m (plural biaisses or biais) (Languedoc)

1. way, manner

   Synonyms: faiçon, manièra

Derived terms

• aver bon biais
• aver lo biais
• biais de viure
• d'autre biais
• de biais
• de tot biais
• èsser de biais

Further reading

• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana‎^[2], L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2025, page 113