aîné
See also: aine, ainé, aîne, Áine, -aine, and -aiñe
French
Alternative forms
- ainé (post-1990 spelling)
Etymology
From Middle French aisné, from Old French aisné, contraction of ainz (“before”) + né (“born”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛ.ne/, /e.ne/
audio (file) - Homophone: henné
Adjective
aîné (feminine aînée, masculine plural aînés, feminine plural aînées)
- oldest, elder (sibling)
- Mon frère aîné
- My oldest brother.
Noun
aîné m (plural aînés, feminine aînée)
- eldest (boy)
- older brother
- elder
- old person
Antonyms
- cadet
- (dated, literary) puîné
Related terms
- aînesse
Further reading
- “aîné”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.