liaison

See also: Liaison

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin ligātiō (stem ligation-) (English ligation), derived from ligō (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”). Doublet of ligation.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /li.ˈeɪ.ˌzɒ̃/, /-ˌzɒn/, /-z(ə)n/, (nonstandard) /laɪ.ˈeɪ.ˌzɒn/, /-zən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /li.ˈeɪ.ˌzɑn/, /-ˌsɑn/, (nonstandard) /ˈ laɪ.ə.sən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪzɑn

Noun

liaison (countable and uncountable, plural liaisons)

Examples (pronunciation of a normally silent consonant)
The pronunciation of the ⟨n⟩ in French bon appétit

1. Communication between two parties or groups.
2. Cooperation, working together.
3. A relayer of information between two forces in an army or during war.
4. Any person who relays information between two groups or organizations.

   Synonyms: go-between, mediator

   As a community liaison, I work to make sure the general public knows about our organization's work.

5. A tryst; a romantic meeting.
6. (figurative) An illicit sexual relationship or affair.
   • 2020 August 4, Richard Conniff, “They may look goofy, but ostriches are nobody’s fool”, in National Geographic Magazine‎^[1]:

     ostriches in breeding season are relentlessly promiscuous, with both males and females seeking liaisons with multiple partners.

7. (phonology) Fusion of two consecutive words and the manner in which this occurs.

   Hypernyms: sandhi, intrusion, linking

   1. (phonology) The pronunciation of a normally silent final consonant when the next word begins with a vowel.

Derived terms

• liaison aircraft

Related terms

• liaise
• ligation

Translations

communication between two parties or groups

• Bulgarian: връзка (bg) f (vrǎzka), свръзка (bg) f (svrǎzka)
• Finnish: yhteydenpito (fi), yhteys (fi)
• French: liaison (fr) f
• Greek: διασύνδεση (el) f (diasýndesi), συνεργασία (el) f (synergasía)
• Italian: collegamento (it) m, testa di ponte f
• Persian: رابطه‎ (fa) (râbete), ارتباط‎ (fa) (ertebât)
• Portuguese: ligação (pt) f
• Romanian: legătură (ro) f
• Russian: связь (ru) f (svjazʹ)
• Spanish: enlace (es) n

co-operation, working together

• Bulgarian: взаимодействие (bg) n (vzaimodejstvie)
• Finnish: yhteistyö (fi)
• French: liaison (fr) f
• German: Zusammenarbeit (de) f, Verbindung (de) f
• Greek: συνεργασία (el) f (synergasía)
• Persian: رابطه‎ (fa) (râbete)
• Portuguese: cooperação (pt)
• Russian: взаимоде́йствие (ru) n (vzaimodéjstvije)

a relayer of information between two forces in an army or during war

• Bulgarian: свързочник (bg) m (svǎrzočnik)
• Finnish: yhteyshenkilö
• French: liaison (fr) f
• Greek: μεσολαβητής (el) m (mesolavitís)
• Italian: collegamento (it) m
• Persian: رابط‎ (fa) (râbet)
• Russian: связно́й (ru) m (svjaznój)

a tryst, romantic meeting

• Finnish: treffit (fi)
• French: liaison (fr) f
• German: Liaison (de) f
• Greek: σχέση (el) f (schési)
• Russian: свида́ние (ru) n (svidánije)

an illicit sexual relationship or affair

• Finnish: rakkaussuhde (fi), salasuhde (fi)
• French: liaison (fr) f
• German: Liaison (de) f, Liebschaft (de) f, (außereheliche) Affäre f, außereheliches Verhältnis n
• Greek: ερωτοδουλειά (el) f (erotodouleiá)
• Russian: рома́н (ru) m (román), любовное похожде́ние n (ljubovnoje poxoždénije), любо́вная интри́га f (ljubóvnaja intríga), любо́вная связь f (ljubóvnaja svjazʹ), (hanky-panky) шу́ры-му́ры (ru) f pl (šúry-múry), ша́шни (ru) m pl (šášni), аму́ры (ru) m pl (amúry)
• Spanish: aventura (es) f

linguistics: a sandhi

• Arabic: وَصْل‎ (ar) m (waṣl)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 聯誦／联诵 (zh) (liánsòng)

• Finnish: sidonta (fi)
• French: liaison (fr) f
• German: Liaison (de) f, Bindung (de) f, Mitbindung f
• Greek: υφέν (el) n (yfén)
• Japanese: リエゾン (riezon)
• Korean: 리에종 (riejong)
• Russian: льезо́н m (lʹjezón)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} legatura f

Verb

liaison (third-person singular simple present liaisons, present participle liaisoning, simple past and past participle liaisoned)

1. (proscribed) To liaise.

Anagrams

• isolani

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French, from Late Latin ligātiōnem, derived from Latin ligō (“bind”), or formed from lier +‎ -aison based on the Latin word. Compare also Old Occitan liazó, liazon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ljɛ.zɔ̃/, /lje.zɔ̃/

• Audio (FR)

  (file)

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

Noun

liaison f (plural liaisons)

1. link, bond
2. friendship
3. liaison (romantic encounter)
4. liaison (communication)
5. (linguistics) liaison (phonological phenomenon)
6. (chemistry) bond

Related terms

• lier

Descendants

• → English: liaison
• → Italian: liaison

Further reading

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