liaison

See also: Liaison

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

liaison

Wikipedia

Etymology

Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin ligātiō (stem ligātiōn-; whence the English doublet ligation), derived from ligō (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /liˈeɪˌzɒ̃/, /-ˌzɒn/, /-z(ə)n/, (nonstandard) /laɪˈeɪˌzɒn/, /-zən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /liˈeɪˌzɑn/, /-ˌsɑn/, (nonstandard) /ˈlaɪ.ə.sən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪzɒn, -eɪzən
• Hyphenation: li‧ai‧son

Noun

liaison (countable and uncountable, plural liaisons)

Examples (pronunciation of a normally silent consonant)
The pronunciation of the ⟨n⟩ in French bon appétit

1. (cooking) A thickening for sauces, typically based on egg yolks.
   • 1759, William Verral, “XV. Des perdreaux au celery blanc. Partridges with celery sauce white.”, in A Complete System of Cookery. […], London: Printed for the author, and sold by him; as also by Edward Verral bookseller, […]; and by John Rivington […], page 92:

     […] prepare a liaison, or four or five yolks of eggs and some cream […]

2. Communication between two parties or groups.
3. Cooperation, working together.
4. A relayer of information between two forces in an army or during war.
5. Any person who relays information between two groups or organizations.

   Synonyms: go-between, mediator

   As a community liaison, I work to make sure the general public knows about our organization's work.

6. A tryst; a romantic meeting.
7. (figuratively) An illicit sexual relationship or affair.
   • 2020 August 4, Richard Conniff, “They may look goofy, but ostriches are nobody’s fool”, in National Geographic Magazine‎:

     ostriches in breeding season are relentlessly promiscuous, with both males and females seeking liaisons with multiple partners.

8. (phonology) Fusion of two consecutive words and the manner in which this occurs.

   Hypernyms: sandhi, intrusion, linking

   1. (phonology) The pronunciation of a normally silent final consonant when the next word begins with a vowel.

Derived terms

• liaison aircraft
• liaison officer

Related terms

• liaise
• ligation

Translations

communication between two parties or groups

Bulgarian: връзка (bg) f (vrǎzka), свръзка (bg) f (svrǎzka) Danish: forbindelsesofficer (da) c Estonian: suhtlus, läbikäimine, lävimine, ühendus, ühendusepidamine Finnish: yhteydenpito (fi), yhteys (fi) French: liaison (fr) f Greek: διασύνδεση (el) f (diasýndesi), συνεργασία (el) f (synergasía) Italian: collegamento (it) m, testa di ponte f Persian: رابطه (fa) (râbete), ارتباط (fa) (ertebât) Portuguese: ligação (pt) f Romanian: legătură (ro) f Russian: связь (ru) f (svjazʹ) Spanish: enlace (es) m

co-operation, working together

Azerbaijani: əməkdaşlıq (az) Bulgarian: взаимодействие (bg) n (vzaimodejstvie) Estonian: ühistöö, kaastöö, koostöö Finnish: yhteistyö (fi) French: liaison (fr) f German: Zusammenarbeit (de) f, Verbindung (de) f Greek: συνεργασία (el) f (synergasía) Persian: رابطه (fa) (râbete) Portuguese: cooperação (pt) Russian: взаимоде́йствие (ru) n (vzaimodéjstvije)

a relayer of information between two forces in an army or during war

Bulgarian: свързочник (bg) m (svǎrzočnik) Estonian: sidepidaja, sideisik, sideväelane, sidetöötaja Finnish: yhteyshenkilö French: liaison (fr) f Greek: μεσολαβητής (el) m (mesolavitís) Italian: collegamento (it) m Persian: رابط (fa) (râbet) Russian: связно́й (ru) m (svjaznój)

a tryst, romantic meeting

Estonian: kohting Finnish: treffit (fi) French: liaison (fr) f German: Liaison (de) f Greek: σχέση (el) f (schési) Russian: свида́ние (ru) n (svidánije)

an illicit sexual relationship or affair

Estonian: salasuhe, armuseiklus Finnish: rakkaussuhde (fi), salasuhde (fi) French: liaison (fr) f German: Liaison (de) f, Liebschaft (de) f, (außereheliche) Affäre f, außereheliches Verhältnis n Greek: ερωτοδουλειά (el) f (erotodouleiá) Russian: рома́н (ru) m (román), любовное похожде́ние n (ljubovnoje poxoždénije), любо́вная интри́га f (ljubóvnaja intríga), любо́вная связь f (ljubóvnaja svjazʹ), (hanky-panky) шу́ры-му́ры (ru) f pl (šúry-múry), ша́шни (ru) m pl (šášni), аму́ры (ru) m pl (amúry) Spanish: aventura (es) f

linguistics: a sandhi

Arabic: وَصْل (ar) m (waṣl) Chinese: Mandarin: 聯誦 / 联诵 (zh) (liánsòng) Finnish: sidonta (fi) French: liaison (fr) f German: Liaison (de) f, Bindung (de) f, Mitbindung f Greek: υφέν (el) n (yfén) Japanese: リエゾン (riezon) Korean: 리에종 (riejong) Russian: льезо́н m (lʹjezón)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Romanian: (please verify) legatura f

Verb

liaison (third-person singular simple present liaisons, present participle liaisoning, simple past and past participle liaisoned)

1. (proscribed) To liaise.

Anagrams

• isolani

French

French Wikipedia has an article on:

liaison

Wikipedia ^fr

Etymology

Inherited from Old French, from Late Latin ligātiōnem, derived from Latin ligō (“bind”), or formed from lier +‎ -aison based on the Latin word. Compare also Old Occitan liazó, liazon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ljɛ.zɔ̃/ ~ /lje.zɔ̃/

• Audio (France):

  (file)

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Agen)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

liaison f (plural liaisons)

1. link, bond
2. friendship
3. liaison (romantic encounter)
4. liaison (communication)
5. (linguistics) liaison (phonological phenomenon)
6. (chemistry) bond

Related terms

• lier

Descendants

• → English: liaison
• → Italian: liaison

Further reading

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