roseau

See also: Roseau

French

Etymology

Derivative of ros (“reed”), from Middle French ros (“reed”), from Old French ros (“reed, tooth of a weaver's comb”) (compare Old French rosel (“reed”)), from Frankish *rausa (“reed”), from Proto-Germanic *rausą, *rauzą (“pipe, reed, shaft, tube”), from Proto-Indo-European *er- (“to move, excite, grow”). Cognate with Old High German rōr (“pipe”) (German Rohr (“tube”)), Old Norse reyrr (“reed”) (Danish rør (“reed, pipe, tube”)), Old English rysc (“reed, rush”). More at rush.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁo.zo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -zo

Noun

roseau m (plural roseaux)

1. common reed (Phragmites australis)
2. (by extension) any reed
3. quill, feather pen
   • 1949 [1946], Jacques Prévert, “Événements”, in Paroles [Words], Éditions Gallimard, page 51:

     il a une grosse tête de penseur / des lunettes en écaille / une grosse tête de roseau bien pensant

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• faux-roseau
• grand roseau
• petit roseau
• roseau commun

Related terms

• roselière

Further reading

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