caillou
See also: Caillou
French
Etymology
From Norman caillou, of uncertain origin, but probably related to Old French gal (“small pebble”), which could be of Celtic/Gaulish origin.
Compare Picard cailleu, Walloon caie; also Dutch kei (“stone, rock”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ka.ju/
audio (file) Audio (Paris) (file) - Homophone: cailloux
- Rhymes: -ju
Noun
caillou m (plural cailloux)
- gravel, small stone
Usage notes
Only seven words in French ending in -ou have their plurals in -oux instead of -ous: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou, pou.
Related terms
- caillouter
- cailloutis
See also
- pierre
Further reading
- “caillou”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle French
Etymology
Likely related to the origin of Old French gal (“small pebble”).
Noun
caillou m (plural caillous)
- stone; pebble