Eaux
/oʊ/noun
The plural of the French word eau, meaning “waters,” used in English chiefly in names and compounds such as eaux-de-vie.
Did you know?The French spelling eaux contains three written vowels but is normally pronounced as a single sound, /o/, reflecting medieval spelling history rather than pronunciation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ekʷeh₂
“Water; a reconstructed root associated with flowing or watery substance”
Classical Antiquity
Latin
aqua
“Water”
Gallo-Romance
Gallo-Romance
*akwa
“Water, undergoing regular sound changes in the ancestor of French”
Old French
Old French
eve / ewe
“Water; an evolving form descended from Latin aqua”
Middle French
Middle French
eau
“Water; the spelling developed as scribes represented changing pronunciation”
Modern French
French
eaux
“Waters; plural of eau, with the final x ordinarily silent”
Modern English
English
eaux
“A French plural used mainly in borrowed expressions, especially eaux-de-vie, “waters of life””