bête
French
editAlternative forms
edit- b*t* (censored)
Etymology
editInherited from Middle French beste, from Old French beste, probably partially borrowed from Classical Latin bēstia (“beast”), or less likely from an alternative Vulgar Latin bēsta (“animal”). Compare biche (probably from Old French bisse, itself from Vulgar Latin bīstia; compare Italian biscia).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editbête f (plural bêtes)
- beast, animal
- Synonym: animal
- (derogatory) fool
- Je pense qu’il est une bête !
- I think that he is a fool!
Derived terms
edit- abêtir
- âge bête
- bébête
- bêta
- bétail
- bête à Bon Dieu
- bête à manger du foin
- bête comme chou
- bête comme ses deux pieds
- bête comme ses pieds
- bête de foire
- bête de scène
- bête de sexe
- bête de somme
- bête noire
- bête-puante
- bêtement
- bêtifier
- bêtise
- chercher la petite bête
- contracibête
- ébêtir
- embêter
- morte la bête, mort le venin
- pense-bête
- rabêtir
- reprendre du poil de la bête
Descendants
editAdjective
editbête (plural bêtes)
- (offensive) stupid; inept (not very bright and lacking in judgement)
- Synonym: idiot
- 1895, Lecture, page 285:
- Or, on ne trouve pas « vraiment beau ! » ce qui vous laisse indifférent, et ce qu’on trouve « vraiment bête ! » , on est bien près d’y renoncer.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- silly; avoidable (which could have been easily averted)
- (Canada, informal) grumpy (having a bad character or in a bad mood; showing great displeasure in interacting with people)
- 1999, Chrystine Brouillet, Les Fiancées de l'Enfer, →ISBN, page 69:
- Je dis ça, mais depuis quelques semaines elle est moins bête. Même avec moi
- I say that, but these last few weeks she hasn't been as nasty [lit: "less of a beast"]. Even with me.
Related terms
editReferences
edit- “bête”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Further reading
edit- “bête”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Norman
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom Old French beste, from Latin bēstia.
Pronunciation
edit- IPA(key): /beit/, /bøit/
- (Saint Ouën) IPA(key): /bɛːt/
- (Sark) IPA(key): /bwɛːt/
Audio (Jersey): (file)
Noun
editbête f (plural bêtes)
Adjective
editbête m or f
Categories:
- French terms inherited from Middle French
- French terms derived from Middle French
- French terms inherited from Old French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French terms derived from Latin
- French terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
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- French countable nouns
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- French terms with usage examples
- French adjectives
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- Canadian French
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- fr:People
- fr:Personality
- Norman terms inherited from Old French
- Norman terms derived from Old French
- Norman terms derived from Latin
- Norman terms with IPA pronunciation
- Norman terms with audio links
- Norman lemmas
- Norman nouns
- Norman feminine nouns
- Jersey Norman
- Guernsey Norman
- Norman adjectives