cornemuse
/kɔʁ.nə.myz/
The English phrase bagpipe is translated into French as cornemuse.
cornemuse refers to a musical instrument with a bag and pipes. If you wish to specifically refer to the Scottish version of the instrument, you can use the phrase cornemuse écossaise.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Brittany region of northwest France, the bagpipe is associated with the term biniou.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural cornemuses, add an s to the end of the word.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /kɔʁ.nə.myz/.
Did you know?
- The term cornemuse can be used figuratively in French to describe someone who is stubbornly repetitive or monotonous in their speech.
- The word cornemuse is derived from the Old French verbs corner, meaning 'to sound a horn', and muser, meaning 'to play the bagpipe'.
- The traditional biniou of Brittany is rarely played alone and is most often paired with the bombarde, a powerful double-reed instrument.
Examples in context
- J'ai récemment découvert la cornemuse écossaise. Les sonorités sont fascinantes!I recently discovered the Scottish bagpipe. The sounds are fascinating!
- Il joue de la cornemuse.He plays the bagpipe.
- J'ai acheté une cornemuse d'occasion.I bought a second-hand bagpipe.
- Le son de la cornemuse est très fort.The sound of the bagpipe is very loud.
Example conversation
Gabriel is practicing a new instrument in the living room.
- ChloéGabriel, c'est quoi cet instrument ?Gabriel, what is that instrument?
- GabrielC'est une cornemuse que j'ai reçue.It is a bagpipe that I received.
- ChloéC'est impressionnant, mais c'est bruyant !It is impressive, but it is noisy!
- GabrielJe sais, je vais essayer de jouer plus doucement.I know, I will try to play more softly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cornemuse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cornemuse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
