chatouiller

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French catellier (“to excite, cause tremors”), from Medieval Latin catilō (“tickle”, verb), from Frankish *kitilōn (“to tickle”), from Proto-Germanic *kitilōną, frequentative of Proto-Germanic *kitōną (“to tickle”), from Proto-Indo-European *geid- (“to stick, jab, tickle”). Cognate with Old High German kizzilōn (“to tickle”), Old English citelian (“to tickle”), Old Norse kitla (“to tickle”), Middle Dutch katelen (“to tickle”), Dutch kittelen (“to tickle”). More at kittle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃa.tu.je/

• audio

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Verb

chatouiller

1. to tickle

Further reading

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