Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “-eau” come from?

-eau (French) comes from Middle French -eau, from Old French -el, from Latin -ellus, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos, from Proto-Italic -elos, from Proto-Indo-European -e-lós, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

-eau (French): forming diminutive masculine nouns, especially...

Definitions

  1. forming diminutive masculine nouns, especially...

Ancestry of “-eau”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle French-eau—
2Old French-elSuffix that usually denotes a masculine noun
3Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
4Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
5Proto-Italic-olos—
6Proto-Italic-elos—
7Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
8Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “-eau”

  • plateau
  • tonneau
  • pinot
  • flambeaux
  • flambeau
  • réseau
  • rouleau
  • pineau
  • caveau
  • tonneau
  • плато
  • chevreau
  • pigeonneau
  • plateau
  • pineau
  • flambeau
  • flambeaux
  • baleineau
  • levreau
  • cuveau
  • mâtineau
  • colineau
  • zébreau
  • éléphanteau
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →