guêpe

French

Etymology

From Middle French guespe, from Old French guespe, wespe, wapce (“hornet, wasp”), from a conflation of Latin vespa (“wasp”), and Old Frankish *wespa, *wapsa (“wasp”), from Proto-Germanic *wapsō (“wasp”); both from Proto-Indo-European *wobʰseh₂, from *webʰ- (“to weave”).

Cognate with Old High German wefsa (“wasp”), Old Saxon waspa, wespia (“wasp”), Old English wæsp, wæps (“wasp”). More at wasp.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɡɛp/
- audio (France) (file)
IPA^(key): /ɡɛːp/ (older, now chiefly Belgium, Canada)
- (Quebec) IPA^(key): [ɡaɛ̯p]
  - audio (Quebec) (file)
  - Audio (CAN) (file)
(Louisiana) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɛp/

Noun

guêpe f (plural guêpes)

wasp

Derived terms

guêpe solitaire
guêpier
guêpière
taille de guêpe