forain

See also: föra in

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus (“outsider”), from Latin forīs (“outside”). Assimilated to foire (“fair”) (which is from Latin fēria) through folk etymology. Once meant "foreign", but replaced by étranger in this sense.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔ.ʁɛ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

forain m (plural forains)

1. showman (fairground entertainer)
2. stallholder

Adjective

forain (feminine foraine, masculine plural forains, feminine plural foraines)

1. (relational) fair, fairground

Derived terms

• fête foraine

Further reading

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