lapalissade

French

Etymology

From the name of Jacques de la Palisse, a French military officer. His epitaph reads Ci gît Monſieur de la Palice: s’il n’était pas mort, il ferait encore envie (“Here lies the lord of La Palice: if he weren't dead, he would still be envied”). However, it was misread (accidentally or intentionally) as the truism ...il ſerait encore en vie (“...he would still be alive”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /la.pa.li.sad/

Noun

lapalissade f (plural lapalissades)

1. truism
2. tautology

Further reading

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