Yesterday in class, our prof pointed at a lovely curved window in a video and—blame my caffeine level—I heard “beau fenêtre.” Reader, I nodded confidently… then remembered fenêtre is feminine. It would be belle. So now I’m blushing and Googling: did bow window come from beau or the other way round?
Short answer
It’s bow, as in an archer’s bow—the curve—first attested in English around 1753. Nothing to do with beau (handsome), sauf que the window is pretty. (Etymology Online)
Longer (nerdier) answer you can dine out on
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Bow window: literally bow + window—a projecting, curved window. The earliest written examples are mid-18th century in Britain (also called a “compass window”). (Wikipedia)
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Bay window vs bow window: a bay is an architectural “opening/recess between elements,” from Old French baie/baee “opening, hole.” So a bay window is the projecting compartment; if it’s curved with 4+ lights, English often says bow. (Bay = shape/space; Bow = the curve.) (Wikipedia)
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Oriel: the one that hangs off the upper floor on brackets or corbels. The word came into English via Anglo-Norman/Medieval Latin (oriol/oriolum, “gallery/porch”). In modern French, the Académie prefers oriel (rather than “bow-window”) and defines it as a fenêtre en encorbellement. (Etymology Online)
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Window itself? Viking vibes: Old Norse vindauga—“wind-eye.” If that doesn’t make you love linguistics, nothing will. (Etymology Online)
So what do French speakers say today?
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Un oriel (Académie’s pick), une fenêtre en saillie / en encorbellement, and in everyday building talk you’ll also hear une baie (for the opening) or une baie vitrée (full-height glazed opening—different beast). Dictionaries in France list bow-window/bay-window as anglicisms but recommend oriel. (dictionnaire-academie.fr)
Mini cheat-sheet (with zero judgment about what I heard in class 😉)
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bow window → un oriel / fenêtre en saillie
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bay window → fenêtre en baie / baie (the opening)
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Pronunciation tip: In bow window, bow rhymes with beau (not with “cow”). In French, beau is masculine; with fenêtre (f.), it’s belle fenêtre. (Special “bel/beau/belle” patterns are a classic A2 brain-twister.) (Lawless French)
Little learning snacks for every level
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A1
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Say what you see: C’est une belle fenêtre. / Regarde, il y a un oriel.
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Vocab: fenêtre (window), baie (opening), mur (wall), courbe (curve).
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A2
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Adjective agreement practice: beau → bel → belle; try: un bel immeuble, une belle baie vitrée.
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Phrase: La fenêtre fait saillie sur la façade.
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B1
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Explain the difference: Un oriel ne touche pas le sol; un bow/bay window peut partir du rez-de-chaussée.
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Pronunciation: contrast English bow /boʊ/ with French beau /bo/.
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B2
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Etymology elevator pitch (en français!): « Bow window vient de bow, l’arc; bay vient de l’ancien français baie. »
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Style note: avoid anglicisms in formal writing—prefer oriel.
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C1/C2
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Architecture argot: encorbellement, consoles, corbeaux, allège, meneau.
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Write a 150-word mini-review of a façade on Cours Mirabeau, comparing an oriel with a baie vitrée.
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Fun prompt for class or café
Spot-the-oriel walk: around Aix, snap (and share!) one oriel, one baie vitrée, and—if you find one—an honest-to-goodness bow window. Caption in French using at least one of today’s terms. Points for puns; double points if your prof laughs politely.
Sources if you want to geek out more
Bow window origin and date; differences with bay. (Etymology Online)
Bay (architecture) from Old French baie/baee “opening.” (Wikipedia)
Oriel: definition and etymology (EN & FR sources). (Wikipedia)
Window = Old Norse vindauga “wind-eye.” (Etymology Online)
French usage notes (anglicism vs oriel). (Dico en ligne Le Robert)
Your turn — On papote !
What’s a French word you misheard hilariously (bonus if architecture-related)? Or drop a photo of an oriel you’ve seen in Aix. If you’re shy, try this starter: “J’ai longtemps cru que ____ voulait dire ____ !” Your comment might save a fellow learner from calling a belle fenêtre a beau fenêtre—ask me how I know 😅.