enfant

Etymology

From Middle French enfant, from Old French enfant/enfes, probably borrowed from Latin īnfāns, īnfāntem, according to the Trésor de la Langue Française.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.fɑ̃/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Homophone: enfants
• Rhymes: -ɑ̃

Noun

enfant m, f (plural enfants)

1. child (someone who is not yet an adult)
2. child (offspring)

Further reading

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

Etymology

From Old French enfant.

Noun

enfant m (plural enfanz)

1. child

Alternative forms

• enfan

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Latin īnfāns, īnfāntem.

Noun

enfant m (plural enfants)

1. child

Alternative forms

• anfant
• infant (10th century)

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Latin īnfāntem, accusative singular of īnfāns. The nominative form enfes derives from the Latin nominative form īnfāns.

Pronunciation

• (oblique singular) early IPA^(key): /ɛ̃n.ˈfãnt/, later IPA^(key): /ãn.ˈfãnt/ (after lowering of nasalized vowels)
• (nominative singular) early IPA^(key): /ˈɛ̃n.fəs/, later IPA^(key): /ˈãn.fəs/

Noun

enfant m (oblique plural enfanz, nominative singular enfes, nominative plural enfant)

1. child
   • 13th century, Herman de Valenciennes, Assomption Nostre Dame, page 8, column 1, line 28:

     totes les puceles & trestuit li enfant

     All the young women and all the children