Feminine

écaille

  1. (feminine) scale (of fish, reptile etc.)
  2. (feminine) shell (of tortoise, oyster)
  3. (feminine) tortoiseshell (manufacturing material)

Frequency

39k
Pronounced as (IPA)
/e.kaj/
Etymology

In summary

Inherited from Middle French escaille, from Old French escaille (“scale”), from Frankish *skallija (“scale, shell”), from Proto-Germanic *skaljō (“scale, shell, husk”) ( > English shell), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut, part, sunder, split, divide”). Compare Italian scaglia. Doublet of écale.

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