French Game Vocabulary

[John Talbott]

French Game Vocabulary

Bambis, Bunnies and Birds

Readers are encourage to add other examples (NB not all terms are of wild creatures and some are farm-raised.)

Bambis

biche = doe, hind, young female

cerf = venison, stag, hart, older male deer

chevreuil = young male, venison, roebuck, roe-deer

daim = buck, fallow deer

daine = female deer

faon = fawn, young cerf or young chevreuil

Bunnies

hase = female hare

lapereau = young rabbit

lapin = rabbit

lapin de garenne = wild rabbit

levraut = young hare

lievre = hare

Birds

becasse = woodcock

becassine = snipe

caille = quail

canard = duck

canard croisé = farm-raised mallard duck, a specialty of Rouen

canard de Barbarie = Muscovy duck, not necessarily free-range

canard sauvage = mallard, wild duck

caneton = duckling, young male duck

canette = duckling, young female duck

colvert = mallard, commonest wild duck

dinde = turkey hen

dindon = turkey cock

faisan = pheasant, cock pheasant

faisane = hen pheasant

faisandé = hung game

grouse = grouse

hase = female hare

lagopède = white fuzzy alpine ptarmigan

oie = goose

palombe = wood pigeon, ring dove

perdrix, perdreau = partridge

pigeon = pigeon

pintade = guinea fowl

pintadeau = young guinea fowl

poule d’Inde = turkey hen

poule de neige = grouse (see lagopède = white fuzzy alpine ptarmigan)

tourterelle = turtle dove

Other

bison = bison

caribou = caribou

laie = marcassin's mom

marcassin = young wild boar

sanglier = wild boar

Written by your France Forum team with a lotta help from our friends - Ptitpois & Le Zouave.

Edited by John Talbott to update and add several items.

Edited November 13, 2006 by John Talbott (log)

[Ptipois]

Oh I should have added that "hase" is a female hare and "levraut" a young hare. And "laie" is the marcassin's mom.

"Lagopède" is actually the white fuzzy alpine ptarmigan. It thrives in the Alpes and in the Pyrénées too. I think this is the one that's called "poule de neige".

Edited November 13, 2006 by Ptipois (log)

[rooftop1000]

Talk about ask and ye shall receive......this is wonderfull

tracey

[John Talbott]

Oh I should have added that "hase" is a female hare and "levraut" a young hare. And "laie" is the marcassin's mom.

"Lagopède" is actually the white fuzzy alpine ptarmigan. It thrives in the Alpes and in the Pyrénées too. I think this is the one that's called "poule de neige".

←

Thanks. I have updated (probably not for the last time.)

[Catriona]

Oh my god, one of the most helpful things in the world! Thank you so much.

Vaguely connected.. can someone confirm to me that cranberry = airelle?

[Ptipois]

Thanks.  I have updated (probably not for the last time.)

←

Indeed. "White fuzzy" was my own addition.

[Ptipois]

Oh my god, one of the most helpful things in the world!  Thank you so much.

Vaguely connected.. can someone confirm to me that cranberry = airelle?

←

Airelles = a family of small shrubs (Vaccinium) including the blueberry or bilberry (myrtille), the "airelle rouge" (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and the cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos. They are all related. But the cranberry is not the same berry as the red airelle, which is smaller.

The French for cranberry is canneberge. The English for the airelle rouge, I have not found.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Ptipois (log)

[Catriona]

This has been a longrunning debate with my mother-in-law, so thank you!

[Dave Hatfield]

A few more words. Some of these may be slightly off as they pertain to game & wild things.

Antilope = antelope

Argus =pheasant

Becasseau = young of woodcock's

Cane = female duck

Chevrotin = Fawn, roe deer calf

chipeau = Gadwell wild duck

Ganga = pintailed or Pyrenean grouse (also Gelinotte)

Gibier = wild game in general

Gigue = haunch of venison

Grive= thrush

Hure = pig or boars head

Isard = Pynerean wild goat

Jars = male goose

Lagopede = White Pyrenean grouse

Merle = blackbird

Mouflon = wild sheep

Outard = bustard game bird

Palombe = wood pigeon (in SW France)

Rable = Saddle of hare or rabbit

Sarcelle = teal

Tetras = Grouse (again), also called coq de Bruyere

A great exercise in vocabulary for me. Now, if I could only retain all of these and the other words I picked up on the process.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Dave Hatfield (log)