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damoiseau

young nobleman, squire

noun dah-mwah-ZOH Less Common

Origin: Old French 'damoisel', from Latin 'dominus' (lord)

Usage Note

damoiseau is an archaic or literary term for a young man of noble birth who has not yet been knighted—essentially a squire or page. The plural is damoiseaux (the -eau → -eaux pattern). The feminine equivalent was damoiselle (source of 'mademoiselle'). It appears mainly in historical fiction and period drama.

Examples

"Le damoiseau suivait le chevalier."

Natural Translation

The young squire followed the knight.

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