huard
/ɥaʁ/
The loonie, the Canadian one dollar coin, is called huard in French.
huard is the French name of the loon, the bird shown on the coin, so French speakers use the same word for the coin and, in news reports, for the Canadian dollar itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, La Piastre is another informal word for the Canadian dollar.
How do you pronounce it?
huard is pronounced /ɥaʁ/, in a single syllable.
Did you know?
- The word huard is built from the verb huer, which means to boo or shout at. This reflects the bird's loud and haunting calls that can sound like human shouts.
- While Canadians use huard for both the bird and the one-dollar coin, people in France use the word exclusively for the animal.
- In French, the suffix -ard is frequently used to create derogatory terms or to describe someone with an excessive or negative trait, making the name of the bird sound slightly mocking.
Examples in context
- Le huard s’est encore apprécié aujourd’hui par rapport au billet vert.The loonie rose again today against the greenback.Here huard means the Canadian dollar, which rose against the US dollar, the greenback.
- J'ai besoin d'un huard pour acheter çaI need a loonie to buy this
- J'ai vu un huard sur le lac.I saw a loon on the lake.
- Le cri du huard est très distinct.The call of the loon is very distinct.
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are birdwatching by a lake.
- ManonRegarde, il y a un huard là-bas !Look, there is a loon over there!
- GabrielOh, il est magnifique, Manon.Oh, it is magnificent, Manon.
- ManonEst-ce que tu peux le prendre en photo ?Can you take a photo of it?
- GabrielOui, je vais essayer de le faire.Yes, I will try to do it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry huard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries huard, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
