touaille

From Middle French touaille, toaille, from Old French toaille, tevale (“towel”), from Frankish *þwahila (“cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *þwahilō (“wash-cloth"; literally, "something used for washing”), from Proto-Germanic *þwahaną (“to wash”). Romance cognates include Italian tovaglia, Spanish toalla, Portuguese toalha. Akin to Old High German dwahila (“towel”) (German dialectal Zwehle), Dutch dwaal (“a towel”), Old English þwēan (“to wash”). More at tavaïolle.

• IPA^(key): /twɑj/

touaille f (plural touailles)

1. (archaic) linen, especially used in making towels or cloths
2. (archaic) towel
3. (archaic) tablecloth
4. a cloth used to adorn an alter in a church
5. a woman's hairstyle involving a towel wrapped around the head
6. a linen roll used for drying the hands, hand towel

• “touaille” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).