clavier

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French clavier (“keyboard”), from Latin clavis (“key”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklævɪɚ/, /kləˈvɪɚ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ævɪə(ɹ), -ɪə(ɹ)

Noun

clavier (plural claviers)

1. (music) The keyboard of an organ, pianoforte, or harmonium.
   • 1870, A Description of the Grand Organ in the Town Hall, Leeds:

     […] play certain of the stops in octaves to each other, while merely touching single notes on the clavier

Derived terms

• clavierist
• clavieristic

Related terms

• clavichord
• clavicle
• clavis
• nom de clavier

References

“clavier”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• caliver, caviler, valeric, velaric

French

Etymology

Formed from the root of Latin clāvis (whence French clef), with the suffix -ier. Cf. also Medieval Latin clāvārius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kla.vje/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -e
• Homophone: claviers

Noun

clavier m (plural claviers)

1. keyboard (of a computer)
2. keyboard (musical instrument)
3. (archaic) keyring
4. (slang) mouth, teeth

Derived terms

• clavarder
• claviériste
• raccourci clavier

Descendants

• → English: clavier
• → German: Klavier, Clavier (pre-1901)
  • → Czech: klavír
  • → Kashubian: klawir
  • → Lower Sorbian: klawěr
  • → Romanian: clavir (dated, rare)
  • → Serbo-Croatian: klavir
  • → Slovene: klavir
  • → Upper Sorbian: klawěr
• → Low German: Klaveer
• → Portuguese: cravo
• → Swedish: klaver
• → Turkish: klavye

Further reading

• “clavier”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.