verbverb

bailler

yawn

The French verb bailler has two distinct meanings depending on the context and spelling:

To yawn: This is the most common usage. It refers to the involuntary act of opening one's mouth wide and inhaling deeply, usually due to tiredness or boredom.
To gape or open wide: It can describe an object that is slightly open, such as a door that is ajar or a seam in clothing that has come undone, causing a gap.
To hand over or give (archaic): In older French or specific legal/regional contexts, it can mean to give, hand over, or deliver something to someone.

Grammar: It is a regular verb of the first group (-er). Note that in modern French, the verb meaning "to yawn" is almost exclusively spelled bâiller (with a circumflex).
Word origin:
- The meaning "to yawn" comes from the Old French baillier, derived from the Latin batare (to gape, to open the mouth).
- The archaic meaning "to give" comes from the Latin bajulare (to carry a burden), which evolved into the sense of delivering or handing something to someone.

Synonyms:

For "to yawn": bâiller (modern spelling), se languir[?](vocabuo://word/se languir) (figurative, meaning to be bored).
For "to gape/open wide": s'entrouvrir, béer, être entrouvert[?](vocabuo://word/être entrouvert).
For "to give" (archaic): donner, remettre, livrer.

Antonyms:

For "to yawn/gape": se fermer[?](vocabuo://word/se fermer), se clore[?](vocabuo://word/se clore).
For "to give" (archaic): retenir, garder.

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Elle bâille après une longue journée de travail.verb

She yawns after a long day at work.

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