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verb

aboyer

bark

Crier bruyamment, en parlant d’un chien qui fait entendre son cri pour avertir ou exprimer quelque chose.

Definition & meaning

The word aboyer primarily refers to the natural vocal sound made by a dog, translated into English as "to bark."

It has two main uses:

  1. Literal meaning: It describes the cry of a dog or certain other animals like foxes or seals. For example, "Le chien aboie quand quelqu'un passe" (The dog barks when someone passes by).
  2. Figurative meaning: It is used to describe a person who speaks or shouts in a harsh, aggressive, or commanding tone. It implies that the person is yelling orders or insults rudely. For example, "Le sergent aboie ses ordres" (The sergeant barks his orders).

Additionally, the expression "aboyer à la lune" (to bark at the moon) means to complain or protest in vain or to make threats against someone who is unreachable or indifferent.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: Aboyer is a first-group verb (ending in -er). It follows a specific spelling rule common to verbs ending in -oyer: the "y" changes to an "i" before a silent "e".

  • Present: j'aboie, tu aboies, il aboie, nous aboyons, vous aboyez, ils aboient.
  • Future: j'aboierai.

Word origin: The word comes from the Old French aboiier, derived from the Vulgar Latin adbaubare. This was formed from the prefix ad- and the Latin verb baubari, which means "to bark" or "to yelp." The origin is likely onomatopoeic, mimicking the actual sound of a dog's bark.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • For the literal sense (animals): japper (usually for small dogs), glapir (higher-pitched yelping), hurler (to howl).
  • For the figurative sense (humans): crier (to shout), hurler (to yell), gueuler (slang: to shout loudly), vociférer (to vociferate).

Antonyms:

  • se taire (to remain silent).
  • chuchoter (to whisper).
  • murmurer (to murmur).

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Examples

Le chien commence à aboyer.verb

The dog starts to bark.

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