cheval

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French cheval. See cavalcade. Doublet of caple.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɛˈvɑl/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɑl

Noun

cheval (plural chevaux)

1. (obsolete, in compounds) A support or frame.

   cheval-glass

2. Ellipsis of cheval glass.
   • 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXXIX, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 192:

     "Very well, indeed, exceeding well, for un peu passée, the mother of five young women. 'Tis as well they are not here, perhaps," said Lady Anne, as she examined herself from side to side, in the longest cheval the hotel afforded.

Derived terms

• cheval glass
• cheval mirror

References

• “cheval”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• chavel

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French cheval, from Old French cheval, from Late Latin caballus (“horse”), from Latin caballus (“pack horse”), of disputed origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃə.val/, /ʃval/

• Audio (France (Agen)):

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• Audio (France (Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost)):

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• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

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• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

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• Audio (France (Paris)):

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• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Somain)):

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Noun

cheval m (plural chevaux, feminine jument)

1. horse
2. ellipsis of cheval-vapeur (“horsepower”)
3. ellipsis of cheval fiscal (“tax horsepower”)
4. (slang) horse, H (narcotic)

Hypernyms

• équidé

Derived terms

• à cheval
• à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la bride
• à cheval donné on ne regarde pas les dents
• antilope cheval
• changer de cheval au milieu du gué
• cheval à bascule
• cheval d'arçons
• cheval de bât
• cheval de bataille
• cheval de frise
• cheval de main
• cheval de Przewalski
• cheval de trait
• cheval de Troie
• cheval du diable
• cheval qui boit dans son blanc
• cheval-jupon
• cheval-vapeur
• chevalet
• de cheval
• dose de cheval
• fer à cheval
• fièvre de cheval
• il n'est si bon cheval qui ne bronche
• miser sur le mauvais cheval
• monter sur ses grands chevaux
• ne pas se trouver sous le sabot d'un cheval
• ne pas se trouver sous les sabots d'un cheval
• queue-de-cheval
• remède de cheval
• saut de cheval

Related terms

• cavalerie
• cavalier
• chevaleresque
• chevalier
• chevalin
• chevaucher

Descendants

• Antillean Creole: chouval
• Canadian French: joual
• Louisiana Creole: shval
• Guianese Creole: chouval
• Haitian Creole: chwal
• Michif: zhwal
• → English: cheval
• → Esperanto: ĉevalo
• → Garifuna: xuval
• → Malagasy: soavaly
• → Mi'kmaq: te'sipow

See also

• équin
• équitation

Further reading

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

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French cheval.

Noun

cheval m (plural chevaux or chevaulx)

1. horse

Related terms

• chevalier

Descendants

• French: cheval
  • Antillean Creole: chouval
  • Canadian French: joual
  • Louisiana Creole: shval
  • Guianese Creole: chouval
  • Haitian Creole: chwal
  • Michif: zhwal
  • → English: cheval
  • → Esperanto: ĉevalo
  • → Garifuna: xuval
  • → Malagasy: soavaly
  • → Mi'kmaq: te'sipow

Old French

Alternative forms

• keval (northern)
• chival

Etymology

Inherited from Latin caballus.

Pronunciation

• (classical) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃəˈval/, /t͡ʃi-/, (northern) /kə-/

Noun

cheval oblique singular, m (oblique plural chevaus or chevax or chevals, nominative singular chevaus or chevax or chevals, nominative plural cheval)

1. horse
   • c. 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec and Énide 393–396:

     EREC de son cheval desçant :
     Li sire meïsmes le prant,
     Par la resne aprés lui le tret,
     A son oste grant enor fet.

     Erec descends from his horse:
     the lord himself takes him,
     leads him after him by the reins,
     does great honour to his host.

   • c. 1160 – 1174, Wace, Roman de Rou 13600–13611, (available on Google Books):

     D’Avrencin i fu Richarz,
     Ensemble od li cil de Biarz,
     E li sire de Solignie,
     E li boteillier d’Aubignie,
     Cil de Vitrie' è de Lacie,
     De Val de Saire' è de Tracie;
     E cil furent en un conrei,
     Sor Engleiz fierent demanei;
     Ne dotoent pel ne fossé,
     Maint hoem unt cel jor enversé,
     Maint boen cheval i unt tué,
     E d’els maint hoem i out nafré.

     Richard was there from Avranches,
     along with him, those of Les Biards,
     and the lord of Soligny,
     and the cupbearer of Aubigny,
     those of Vitry and of Lacy,
     of the Val de Saire and of Tracy;
     and they were in one formation,
     [and] fiercely attacked the English;
     they feared neither stake nor ditch,
     many men were overturned that day,
     many good horses they killed there,
     and from them, many men were wounded there.

Related terms

• chevalier

Descendants

• Bourguignon: chevau, ch'vau, g'vau, z'vau
• Champenois: cheveau
• Middle French: cheval (see there for further descendants)
• Lorrain: tchevâ
• Norman: queval
• Picard: cval, cvau
• Walloon: tchivå, tchvå
• → Gascon: chivau

References

• cheval on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub