What Does Poudrerie Mean?
In Québec French, poudrerie refers to fine snow that is blown by the wind, creating a swirling effect, a flurry of snow, during winter storms. The word is feminine, as indicated by its article “la” (la poudrerie). Interestingly, the term poudrerie has a different meaning in France, where it refers to an explosives factory. European French speakers would use rafales de neige (also common in Québec) or chasse-neige (unused in Québec) to describe this phenomenon.
Cultural Significance and Usage
The term poudrerie first appeared in the late 17th century to describe snow, with its recorded use dating back to around 1695. This is a regional Canadian French meaning, and it is not used in international French.
In addition to its use in Québec, the word poudrerie has a close alternative in the French-speaking community of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (a territory of France), where the term poudrin is used in a similar context (Le Petit Larousse, Le Petit Robert).
In 1880, journalist and dictionary author Oscar Dunn described this meaning of the word as pur franco-canadien, et c’est le chef-d’oeuvre de notre langue (pure Franco-Canadian, and it is the masterpiece of our language).
Examples of Poudrerie in Context
- La poudrerie a rendu la route glissante et difficile à traverser.
- The flurry of snow made the road slippery and difficult to cross.
- Nous avons dû rester à l’intérieur à cause de la poudrerie qui soufflait fort.
- We had to stay indoors because of the strong snow flurry blowing outside.