tabarnak

Alternative forms

tabarnaque, tabarnac

Etymology

Originally a Quebec eye-dialect spelling of tabernacle. As with other sacres, the semantic shift occurred due to the taboos surrounding blasphemy in predominantly Catholic Quebec.

Pronunciation

(Quebec) IPA^(key): /ta.baʁ.nak/
Audio (Quebec, Côte-Nord): (file)
Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)): (file)
Audio (France (Vosges)): (file)
Audio (France (Somain)): (file)

Interjection

tabarnak

(Quebec, vulgar, slang) An expletive and intensifier for all purposes.
Synonyms: câlisse, crisse, ostie
- 2009, Robert Maltais, Le Curé du Mile End, page 195:
  Non, non, c'est juste une joke. Garde-lé, ton vingt piastres. C't'une tabarnak de gang de fous: j'ai les poches pleines. M'a te dire rien qu'une affaire: tu l'as en tabarnak ! Non, non, c'est vrai. T'es correct, toé.
  No, no, I was just joking. Keep it, your twenty bucks. They're all a fuckin' bunch of idiots: my pockets are full. Lemme tell ya something: you fuckin' have it! No, no, it's true: you're quite good, you.
- 2023, Friday Night SmackDown, spoken by Sami Zayn:
  Roman Reigns, écoute-moi bien: demain soir, t'es chez moi tabarnak!
  Roman Reigns, listen to me: tomorrow night, you're in my fuckin' house!

Usage notes

Considered the greatest and most offensive of all the Quebec curse words.

Related terms

(minced oath) tabarcul, tabarjak, tabarnache, tabarnane, tabarnique, tabarnouche, tabarouette, tabarslack, tabaslack, taboire (cross with ciboire), tabouena
(abbreviation) TBK, TBNK
tabarnacos (Mexican name for Québécois)
tabarnaker, tabarnacquer, tabarnaquer