breuvage

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French bevrage, from bevre (“to drink”), with metathesis of R.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʁœ.vaʒ/, /bʁø.vaʒ/

Noun

breuvage m (plural breuvages)

1. (literary or humorous) beverage
2. (standard in Quebec) beverage
3. concoction, potion

Usage notes

The use of this word to refer specifically to nonalcoholic drinks is heavily stigmatized in Quebec as an anglicism (even though English beverage excludes water, not alcohol).

Synonyms

• (any liquid): boisson

Descendants

• Spanish: brebaje

Further reading

• “breuvage”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.