forain

See also: föra in

French

Etymology

From Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus, from Latin forīs (“outside”). Assimilated to foire (“fair”), through folk etymology. Once meant "foreign", but replaced by étranger in this sense.

Noun

forain m (plural forains)

1. showman (fairground entertainer)
2. stallholder

Adjective

forain (feminine foraine, masculine plural forains, feminine plural foraines)

1. fair, fairground (attributive)

Further reading

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