abat-jour
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A lampshade boutique in the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Did you see the leopard one (left and center)? My mom, Jules, (...and my daughter, who inherited that gene) would buy two of those, at least). P.S.: notice the typical Basque design, painted red (or green...) shutters and woodwork, just above the shop.
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If you woke up this morning with that nagging question on your brain ("Just how, pray tell, does one say "lampshade" in French"?) then you're in luck and you have come to the right endoit. Read on...
abat-jour (ahbah-joohr) noun, masculine
: lampshade
Do you know how to say lampshade in another language? Chinese, Spanish, German, Tagalog? Swedish, Dutch? Or, by chance, do you have a funny lampshade story? Thank you for sharing your language savoir-faire in the comments box.
Listen to today's word and here the following definition, in French, compliments of my daughter:
Download abat-jour.mp3 . Download abat-jour.wav
French definition by Petit Larousse:
"Dispositif fixé autour d'une lampe et destiné à diriger la lumière tout en protégeant les yeux de l'éblouissement." Device placed around a lamp and destined to direct the light while protecting the eyes from dazzlement. (Hmmm. There may be a better translation out there.... anyone want to help?)
Upcoming Vernissage... here's a sneak peak:
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I always watch the movies here in the states in French or Spanish if possible. I've been to France 10 times and got to use some of my stock phrases. "i can't park here" J'en nai sais pas statione ici" or something like that. Thanks of the the lampshade. I woke up this morning wishing I knew it sure nuff.
Posted by: John Clements | Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 05:17 PM
The word for lampshade in Spanish is pantalla (pahn taya), in German it is lampenschirm (lam pen scherm) and in Swedish it is lampskarm (lamps-karm, like arm) ( with an umlaut over the letter a)
Posted by: joel ostroff | Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 09:40 PM
Lampshade in Spanish is = pantalla de lámpara
Lamp = lámpara
Shade = pantalla
I wish we had shops like that one where I live. Thank you for sharing the story :-)
Posted by: Patricia | Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 09:47 PM
I will have to tell my daughter about this blog. She is a French major in college and would find this blog useful. The little shop is adorable. Wish we had shops like that here in America. It's so unusual to find an entire shop dedicated to just one thing like lamp shades. It reminds me of the Umbrella shop in Umbrella's of Cherbourg.
Posted by: Michelle | Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 04:25 AM
Learned a new one today. I've got to say, the leopard lamp one is cool!
Posted by: Diane | Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 06:41 AM
Tres,tres bell foto...love the warmth in this image...makes me want a lamp shade even if I do not need one...
I am not sure if you remember me as I bought your books long ago even before you were published here.
You sent me the package with many lovely stamps of France and I did same with stamps os USA.
I just wanted to say that I have just started a food blog and have added your link to my list of blogs that I love.
I wanted to ask you if this was good with you. Let me know if not...
Hope that your wine harvest for your family goes well...
You still are my fave blog to read to keep me near to my home in France even if I live far away.
Merci beaucoup that you continue even if you so busy with family and your business.
bisous
Thérèse-Marie
Posted by: Thérèse-Marie BLAZEK | Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 06:56 AM
I love your blog!
The Polish word for lampshade is abażur, no doubt borrowed from the French. There are a few of these words (PL: plaze, FR: plage; PL: meble FR:meubl; PL: fotel FR: fauteuil... among others.) Hubby is Polish and I get a kick out of ferreting out the French words in Polish conversations. Thanks again for your blog!
Posted by: Madeleine | Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 07:42 AM