dicton

saying, adage

noun deek-TON Rare

Origin: Latin 'dictum' (thing said)

Usage Note

Dicton refers to a popular saying that often encodes folk wisdom or weather lore, such as 'En avril, ne te découvre pas d'un fil'. It differs from un proverbe, which tends to be more morally instructive; a dicton is typically regional or practical. The final -n is nasal and the -t is silent.

Examples

"Ce vieux dicton dit que l'union fait la force."

Natural Translation

This old saying goes that there is strength in unity.

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