chêne

Etymology

From Middle French chesne, from Old French chesne, chaisne, chasne, from Vulgar Latin *cassanus (attested in Medieval Latin as casnus), probably from Gaulish cassanos. Some Old French forms possibly influenced by fraisne, fresne (cf. modern frêne). Compare Occitan casse, Franco-Provençal châno. See also Spanish quejigo, Aragonese caixico.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɛn/

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Noun

chêne m (plural chênes)

1. oak (tree), oak tree

   Un chêne. Le chêne de mon jardin.

   Un chêne millénaire, la fable du chêne et du roseau.

2. oak (wood)

   Du chêne. Le chêne de ce lit. Un chêne moyen (middle-aged wood, with intermediate color, young woods are more clear).

   Une table en chêne, de chêne, faite avec du chêne.

Further reading

• “chêne” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).