faute

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita, feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō. Compare Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese falta. Doublet of faillite. Compare English fault and Spanish falta (“lack, shortage”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fot/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

faute f (plural fautes)

1. error, mistake

   une faute d’orthographe ― a spelling mistake

   C’est la faute à pas de chance. ― It’s bad luck’s fault.

2. fault, blame

   c’est de ma faute ― I'm to blame (literally, “it's my fault”)

   c’est toujours la faute aux autres ― other people are always to blame (literally, “it's always other people's fault”)

   il rejette la faute sur son patron ― he laid/put the blame on his boss

3. (law) wrong, misdemeanor
4. (sports) foul, fault (infraction of the rules)

Derived terms

Further reading

• “faute”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Latin

Participle

faute

1. vocative masculine singular of fautus

Middle English

Alternative forms

• faulte, falte

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfau̯t(ə)/, /ˈfalt(ə)/, /ˈfau̯lt(ə)/

Noun

faute (plural fautes)

1. fault

Descendants

• English: fault
• Yola: fout
• → Welsh: ffawt

References

• “faute, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

faute f or m (definite singular fauten or fauta, indefinite plural fauter or fautar, definite plural fautene or fautane)

1. alternative form of faut

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *fallita, feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō.

Noun

faute oblique singular, f (oblique plural fautes, nominative singular faute, nominative plural fautes)

1. fault; error; mistake

Descendants

• French: faute
• → Dutch: fout
• → Irish: fabht
• → Middle English: faute, faulte, falte
  • English: fault
  • Yola: fout
  • → Welsh: ffawt