Skip to content

aïeul

forefather, ancestor

noun ah-YUHL Rare

Origin: Latin avus (grandfather)

Also means

grandfather (literary)

Usage Note

Aïeul has two distinct plurals that learners must know: aïeuls means grandparents specifically, while aïeux (the more common literary plural) means ancestors or forebears in general. The feminine singular is aïeule. It is more formal and literary than ancêtre; you encounter it often in historical or genealogical texts.

Examples

"Nos aïeux ont bâti ce village de leurs mains."

Natural Translation

Our forebears built this village with their own hands.

Explore French by topic