Agneau
/a.ɲo/noun
The French word for a young sheep, or lamb, especially as food.
Did you know?Agneau descends from the same Latin root used in “Agnus Dei,” meaning “Lamb of God,” a title for Christ in Christian liturgy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂egʷ-no-s
“Lamb; a young sheep”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀμνός (amnós)
“Lamb, especially a sacrificial lamb”
Classical Latin
Latin
agnus
“Lamb”
Late Latin
Latin
agnellus
“Little lamb; diminutive of agnus”
Old French
Old French
aignel / agnel
“Lamb”
Modern French
French
agneau
“Lamb; the modern descendant of Latin agnellus”