coulpe

French

Etymology

From Middle French coulpe, from Old French coupe, inherited from Latin culpa, from Proto-Italic *kʷolpā (“wrong, mistake”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷolp-eh₂ (“bend, turn”), from *kʷelp-. The l has been restored on the basis of etymology, and is now pronounced again.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kulp/

Noun

coulpe f (plural coulpes)

1. (archaic, rare, in certain contexts only) guilt (sin)

Derived terms

• battre sa coulpe (“to beat one's breast”)

See also

• culpabilité

Further reading

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

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Middle French

Etymology

From Old French coupe, with the -l- restored based on the Latin etymology, culpa.

Noun

coulpe f (plural coulpes)

1. fault; responsibility

Descendants

• French: coulpe