panais sauvage
The English phrase "wild parsnip" is panais sauvage in French.
panais sauvage refers to a species of plant that is a wild relative of the cultivated parsnip.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of panais (parsnip) and sauvage (wild).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the term for wild parsnip is panais sauvage.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun panais is the same in both singular and plural forms, so only the adjective sauvage changes to indicate number.
Did you know?
- The French word sauvage is a linguistic relative of the English word 'sylvan'. Both are derived from the Latin word silva meaning 'forest'.
- While English uses 'wild', 'feral' and 'savage' for different contexts, French often uses the single word sauvage to describe everything from forest plants to 'wild' children.
Examples in context
- J'ai vu du panais sauvage dans le champ.I saw some wild parsnip in the field.
- Attention, le panais sauvage peut irriter la peau.Watch out, wild parsnip can irritate the skin.
- C'est un panais sauvage, pas une plante comestible.It is a wild parsnip, not an edible plant.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are walking in a forest.
- LéaNathan, regarde cette plante, c'est du panais sauvage.Nathan, look at this plant, it is wild parsnip.
- NathanElle est très belle, mais est-elle dangereuse ?It is very beautiful, but is it dangerous?
- LéaOui, sa sève peut brûler la peau.Yes, its sap can burn the skin.
- NathanD'accord, je ne m'en approcherai pas.Okay, I won't go near it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries panais, sauvage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
