Articles
“My Notes on the Accounting Records of Louis
Lot, 1855-1864”
15. FRENCH TERMS
These are some of the terms and phrases used in the journal.
|
French |
English |
|
Acajou |
Mahogany |
|
Ancien diapason |
Old pitch |
|
Anches |
reeds |
|
argenture |
plating |
|
Au Comptant |
Cash |
|
Avoir |
Credit/Assets |
|
Bague |
Ring |
|
Balais |
Cleaning swabs (balai – broom) |
|
Baleine |
whale (bone cleaning rod) |
|
Baudruches |
Fish skin (balloons) |
|
béquille |
Crutch |
|
billet de banque |
bank note (cash) |
|
Bois de Grenadille ondé |
Figured grenadilla wood |
|
boite à serrure |
locking case (lock box) |
|
Boîte en acajou |
Mahogany case |
|
Bonnet |
End cap |
|
boucher |
Fill |
|
bouchon |
cork |
|
Carrée |
square (case) |
|
celle ci-dessus |
the one above |
|
cerclé en métal |
metal-banded |
|
cerclé en or |
gold ring |
|
Chacun |
each one |
|
charnière |
hinge |
|
Chevalets |
Blocks (in a case) |
|
Ciselé |
engrave, chase |
|
clé de sol ouverte |
open G# |
|
compte |
account |
|
Comte (Cte) |
Count (as in title) |
|
Couvre tenon |
cover tenon (cap) |
|
disparaître les bosses |
remove the dents |
|
Doit |
Owes |
|
Doré |
Gilded, gold plated |
|
doublage |
Lined |
|
doublée en argent |
Lined sleeve in silver (headjoint) |
|
échange |
exchange |
|
Ecouvillon |
swab |
|
Egallement |
Also |
|
Emballage un peu blanc |
Unadorned packaging |
|
emboitûres |
socket fitting |
|
Embouchure guillochée |
Engine-turned lipplate |
|
espèces |
cash |
|
Espèces à valoir |
cash to be credited |
|
espèces en compte |
cash deposit into account |
|
Etui |
case |
|
Façon |
make (shape) |
|
Flûte à ann. |
shorthand for "à anneaux" – ring key |
|
Flûte à anneaux |
Ring key flute |
|
Fourniture |
Supply (Fourniment) |
|
garnir, garnie |
furnish, trim, fit |
|
goupillons |
bottle brush (swab) |
|
grenadille ondé |
Figured grenadilla |
|
Incrusté |
Inlay |
|
Lieges |
corks |
|
lièges aux tenons |
tenon corks |
|
ma traite à vue pour solde |
my sight draft for balance. |
|
maillechort |
nickel silver |
|
Maillechort argentés |
Silver plated |
|
manchon |
sleeve |
|
maroquin |
Moroccan leather |
|
Mise à neuf |
Overhaul |
|
Nettoyage, Nettoyé les clés |
Cleaning, cleaning the keys |
|
Nouveau diapason |
New pitch |
|
Nul |
Void |
|
d'occasion |
2nd hand |
|
Outils |
Tools |
|
Palissandre |
rosewood |
|
Patte d'ut |
C-foot |
|
PAYÉ |
Paid |
|
Peau |
leather, skin |
|
perce Cylindrique |
Cylindrical bore |
|
Plaque d'embouchure |
lipplate |
|
pommade des fées |
fairy ointment (grease) |
|
Pompe |
Tuning slide |
|
pupitre |
desk (lyre) |
|
qu'il m'a prêté |
loaner flute, on loan |
|
ré bémol |
D-flat |
|
rendue |
returned |
|
ressorts |
springs |
|
rouleau |
Roll |
|
Si bémol |
B-flat |
|
Soie |
Silk (cleaning rod) |
|
Solde |
Balance |
|
Soudé |
Soldered |
|
susdite |
aforementioned |
|
Tablature |
Fingering chart |
|
tampons |
pads |
|
Tierce |
third |
|
Tirette |
sliding tube |
|
tournevis |
screwdriver |
|
Tous les Corps |
All the joints |
|
Traite à vue |
Sight draft |
|
Trille de si bémol |
B-flat trill |
|
tringles |
Rods |
|
Trous |
holes |
|
trous bouchés |
Closed hole |
|
Les trous des clés fermés |
Plateau keys |
|
Ut |
C |
|
velours |
velvet |
|
verni le bois |
Varnish the wood |
|
Virole |
ferrule |
|
Vis |
Screws |
|
Vis a bois |
Wood screws |
|
Vitrine |
Shop window (cabinet, case) |
by David Chu, 2026, Maynard, Massachusetts
Copyright
© 2026 David Chu
For more information please email Alan Weiss at alan@vintagefluteshop.com