oignon

French

Alternative forms

• ognon (post-1990 spelling)

Etymology

From Middle French oingnon, from Old French oingnun, unniun, from Latin ūniō, ūniōnem m.

Pronunciation

• (France) IPA^(key): /ɔɲɔ̃/

• audio

  (file)

  (Provence) IPA^(key): /oˈɲɔᵑ/, /oˈɲɔɲ/

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ɔɲõ/

Noun

oignon m (plural oignons)

1. onion (Allium cepa)
2. bulb (of a plant)
3. (in the plural, colloquial) one's own business

Derived terms

• aux petits oignons
• en rang d'oignon
• oignon vert
• se mêler de ses oignons, s'occuper de ses oignons (“mind one's own business”)

Descendants

• Saint Dominican Creole French: z'oignon
  • Haitian Creole: zonyon

Further reading

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