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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread introuvable #169648 08/22/2007 9:44 AM Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 631 Hydra addict Hydra addict Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 631 Quote: introuvable adjective impossible to find; "the book is practically introuvable". Two questions: What is the etymology of this word? Is there another, less obscure word for "unfindable" ? Edit: Must be somehow connected to (treasure) trove. Quote: ORIGIN late Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French tresor trove, literally ‘found treasure.’ Last edited by Hydra; 08/22/2007 9:46 AM. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: introuvable Hydra #169649 08/22/2007 10:47 AM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh (Treasure) trove is from Anglo-Norman tresor trove, the second half of the phrase is from trover 'to compose, invent, find' (it's also a legal term in English). It might be from Old Provencal trobar (which yields troubador) which in turn is usually connected with Vulgar Latin tropo (tropare) from Latin tropus 'song' from Greek τροπος (tropos) 'figure of speech, (lit.) turn' (from τρεπειν (trpein 'to turn', cf. apotropaic, heliotrope, entropy). Latin inventio from invenio (invenire) 'to find, (lit.) come upon'. Last edited by zmjezhd; 08/22/2007 10:48 AM. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: introuvable zmjezhd #169650 08/22/2007 12:12 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass Unfindable, undiscoverable; spec. of books. Also as n. [OED2] actually a French word, I think the English word more commonly used by American booksellers is, well, unfindable. in other contexts, perhaps unattainable. -joe (introvenient) friday Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: introuvable Hydra #169651 08/22/2007 12:22 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Trouver is "to find", in French. Some terms I can think of are: lost; secreted away; gone for good; and too well hidden. Or, in tsuwm's bookseller-type sense, perhaps "unlocatable"; "untraceable". Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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