inconnu

English

Etymology

From French.

Noun

inconnu (plural inconnus)

1. A large salmonid fish, Stenodus nelma, with a large mouth with a protruding lower jaw and a high and pointed dorsal fin.

Synonyms

• nelma, sheefish, connie

References

• inconnu on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “inconnu”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

French

Etymology

From in- +‎ connu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.kɔ.ny/

• Audio:

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• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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Adjective

inconnu (feminine inconnue, masculine plural inconnus, feminine plural inconnues)

1. unknown, obscure, unfamiliar, strange

   Le hurling est un sport inconnu en dehors de l'Irlande.

   The sport of hurling is unknown outside Ireland.

Noun

inconnu m (plural inconnus, feminine inconnue)

1. an unknown person, place, or thing; a stranger

   L'inconnu au bar m'a souri.

   The stranger at the bar smiled at me.

2. (singular only) the things one does not know, in contrast to what one does
   • 1844, Honoré de Balzac, chapter IX, in Modeste Mignon, page 181:

     Ernest demeura fasciné par le gouffre de l’inconnu. L’inconnu, c’est l’infini obscur, et rien n’est plus attachant.

     Ernest remained fascinated by the abyss of the unknown. The unknown is obscure infinity, & nothing is more enthralling.

Usage notes

• The word inconnu refers to someone or something not previously encountered and totally unknown; a related term, méconnu, refers to something that has been encountered or someone acquainted, but is not entirely familiar.

Derived terms

• illustre inconnu
• inconnu au bataillon
• inconnue

References

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