eau

English Online Dictionary. What means eau‎? What does eau mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English ea, eo, from Old English ēa (“running water, water, stream, river”), from Proto-Germanic *ahwō (“waters, river”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water, flowing water”). Doublet of aqua. Compare ea, yeo. Related to, but not derived from, French eau (“water”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /juː/
• Homophones: ewe, u, yew, you (in almost all dialects)
• Homophones: hew, hue, Hugh (in h-dropping dialects)
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Noun

eau (plural eaus)

1. (Lincolnshire) Alternative form of ea

Usage notes

• Present in several river names in Lincolnshire. See List of waterways in Lincolnshire

Related terms

• ea
• Eau
• yeo

See also

Anagrams

• EUA, U.A.E., UAE, UEA, Uea

Bariai

Etymology

From Proto-Ngero *i-om (compare Malalamai yu), although the precise form of this word, like Kove and Lusi veao, is unexplained.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeɑu/, [ˈe̯ɑu̯]

Noun

eau

1. water

Derived terms

• eau-eai (“in the water”) /eɑu.eɑi/, [ˈe̯ɑu̯.i̯ɑi̯]

References

• Steve Gallagher, Peirce Baehr, Bariai Grammar Sketch (2005)

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French eau, eaue, from Old French ewe, euwe, egua (“water”), from Latin aqua (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water, flowing water”). Cognate with Old English ēa (“flowing water, stream, river”). More at ea.

See cognates in regional languages in France : Angevin ieau, Bourbonnais-Berrichon aigue or aïe, Bourguignon eâ, Champenois ève or 'aive, Franc-Comtois âve, Gallo iau, Lorrain aoue, Norman iâo, Orléanais iau, Picard ieu, Poitevin-Saintongeais ève, Franco-Provençal égoua and éva, Occitan aiga, Catalan aigua, Corsican acqua.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o/
• Rhymes: -o
• Homophones: au, aux, aulx, eaux, haut, hauts, ho, o, ô, oh, os

Noun

eau f (plural eaux)

1. water, a liquid that is transparent, colorless, odorless, and tasteless in its pure form, the primary constituent of lakes, rivers, seas, and oceans
2. In particular, rain

3. (chemistry) the chemical compound with molecular formula H₂O existing in the form of ice, liquid water or steam

4. Natural liquid quantities or expanses

5. Fluids such as sweat, formed and found in the body of man or animal

Derived terms

Descendants

• Antillean Creole: dlo
• Guianese Creole: dilo
• Haitian Creole: dlo
• Karipúna Creole French: djilo, dlo
• Louisiana Creole: dilo
• Mauritian Creole: dilo
• Seychellois Creole: delo
• Tayo: delo, dolo

Further reading

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

Middle French

Alternative forms

• eaue

Etymology

From Old French euwe, ewe, egua, from Latin aqua.

Pronunciation

Noun

eau f (plural eaus or eaux)

1. water

Descendants

• French: eau (see there for further descendants)

Romansch

Pronoun

eau (Puter)

1. Alternative form of jau (“I”)