vaurien

Etymology

French

Noun

vaurien (plural vauriens)

1. (archaic) A good-for-nothing; a scoundrel.

Etymology

From vaut (“is worth”), third person singular of valoir +‎ rien (“nothing”). Compare German Taugenichts or Dutch deugniet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vo.ʁjɛ̃/

Noun

vaurien m (plural vauriens)

1. good-for-nothing, a person regarded as useless or worthless

   Cet esclave est un vaurien: même le fouet ne le rend pas productif.

   That slave is a good-for-nothing, even the whip doesn't make him productive.

Further reading

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