corbillard

common noun

Syllable Decomposition

corbillard

In the Middle Ages, Paris relied on several ports, including Corbeil-Essonnes, for its supply of cereals, wine, wood, and construction materials. Transport was carried out in flat-bottomed boats named after their origin, 'corbeillards.' During the plague epidemic, these boats were used to remove the dead from the capital, and their name was distorted by Parisians to 'corbillard,' a term later adopted by all French speakers.

Definition

voitures

Synonym

fourgon mortuaire

Plural

corbillards

Translations

  • germangerman:Leichenwagen
  • englishenglish:hearse
  • chinesechinese:灵车
  • koreankorean:영구차
  • danishdanish:rustvogn
  • spanishspanish:coche fúnebre
  • greekgreek:νεκροφόρα
  • italianitalian:carrozza funeraria
  • japanesejapanese:霊柩車
  • dutchdutch:lijkwagen