voyageur
English
Etymology
From Canadian French (below).
Noun
voyageur (plural voyageurs)
- (historical) A trader, particularly in furs, who worked (and explored) in the area of Canada and the northern United States from the 16th to early 19th centuries; they were often of Quebecois extraction.
- Synonyms: canoeman, engagee
- Hyponym: hivernant
- 1847, George Frederick Augustus Ruxton, Adventures in Mexico and the Rocky Mountains (page 267)
- The powers of the Canadian voyageurs and hunters in the consumption of meat strike the greenhorn with wonder and astonishment; and are only equalled by the gastronomical capabilities exhibited by Indian dogs, both following the same plan in their epicurean gorgings.
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /vwa.ja.ʒœʁ/
audio (file)
Noun
voyageur m (plural voyageurs, feminine voyageuse)
- traveller
Derived terms
- physe voyageuse
- pigeon voyageur
- tourte voyageuse
Related terms
- voyage
- voyager
Descendants
- → Romanian: voiajor
Further reading
- “voyageur”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.