iaoue

Norman

Alternative forms

• iâo (continental Normandy)
• ieau (Jersey)
• yo (Sark)

Etymology

From Old French iaue, ewe, euwe, egua (“water”), from Latin aqua (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water, flowing water”).

Noun

iaoue f (plural iaoux)

1. (Guernsey) water
   • 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎^[1], page 517:

     Il est niais coume Dadais qui se couachait dans l'iaue d'paeur d'être mouailli.

     He is as foolish as Dadais who lay down in the water to avoid getting wet in a shower.

Derived terms

• iaoue douce (“fresh water”)