Skip to content

calepin

notebook

noun kal-PAN Rare
Communication Writing

Origin: named after Ambrogio Calepino, a 16th-century Italian lexicographer

Also means

small notepad

Usage Note

Calepin is a small, pocket-sized notebook for jotting down notes, addresses, or reminders. It is slightly more old-fashioned than carnet but still used, especially by older speakers and in literary contexts. Its origin in a proper name is a rare etymological curiosity; calepino in Italian still means a vocabulary book.

Examples

"Il note chaque rendez-vous dans son calepin."

Natural Translation

He notes every appointment in his notebook.

Explore French by topic