What is an Abreuvoir?
In international French, the verb abreuver means to drink and can be applied to both a humans or animals. It’s a less common synonym of boire. The term abreuvoir (un abreuvoir, masculine) refers to a place designed for animals to drink. This could be a large container for drinking (a drinking trough, which is typically depicted as the drinking container for horses in cowboy movies) or a natural location for drinking (a watering place).
But in Québec/Canadian French, this word has an additional meaning and can also describe a drinking fountain in public spaces. In this specific case, Europeans would say distributeur d’eau, or fontaine à eau (a drinking fountain). So the meaning that is specific to Québec has its roots in the concept of providing water for livestock, with its usage dating back to the 13th century. The term first appeared in this specific context in 1934.
Examples of Abreuvoir in Context
- Il y a un abreuvoir dans le parc où les enfants peuvent remplir leurs bouteilles d’eau.
- There is a drinking fountain in the park where children can fill their water bottles.
- Après une longue randonnée, nous avons trouvé un abreuvoir où nous avons pu nous désaltérer.
- After a long hike, we found a drinking fountain where we could quench our thirst.