Dauphiné

/dəʊfɪˈneɪ/

proper noun

A former province in southeastern France, centred on Grenoble.

OriginFrench Dauphiné ← Middle French Dauphiné ← Latin Delphīnātu →
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Meanings

proper nounthe Dauphiné

alternative Dauphiny · alternative Delphinate

  1. historicalA former province in southeastern France, centred on Grenoble.

    Linen textile production was well-developed in the north-west and in the Dauphiné, and the manufacturing of silk cloths around Lyon and Nîmes.

    2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 161

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷelbʰ-
  2. Ancient Greekδελφίς (delphís)
  3. Latindelphīnus
  4. Latindelphīnātus
  5. LatinVienna
  6. LatinViennēnsis
  7. LatinDelphīnātus Viennēnsisellip.
  8. LatinDelphīnātu
  9. Middle FrenchDauphiné
  10. FrenchDauphiné
  11. EnglishDauphiné

Borrowed from French Dauphiné, from Medieval Latin Delphīnātus (literally “the Dauphinate”), ellipsis of Delphīnātus Viennēnsis (“the Dauphinate of Vienne”, literally “the Viennese Dauphinate”). The Latin delphīnātus (“dauphinate”) derives from delphīnus (“dauphin”) + -ātus (suffix forming abstract nouns). Doublet of Dauphiny, Delphinate, and dauphinate.

More words from French, Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian Дофине
  • Дофине (Dofine)former province of France
Catalan Delfinat
  • Delfinatformer province of France
Czech Dauphiné, Delfinát
  • Dauphinéformer province of France
  • Delfinátformer province of France
French Dauphiné
  • Dauphinéformer province of France
German Dauphiné, Dauphinat
  • Dauphinéformer province of France
  • Dauphinatformer province of France
  • Delphinatformer province of France
Greek Ντωφινέ
  • Ντωφινέ (Ntofiné)former province of France
Italian Delfinato
  • Delfinatoformer province of France
Latin Delphīnātus
  • Delphīnātusformer province of France
Polish Delfinat
  • Delfinatformer province of France
Portuguese Delfinado
  • Delfinadoformer province of France
Russian Дофине́, Дельфина́т
  • Дофине́ (Dofiné)former province of France
  • Дельфина́т (Delʹfinát)former province of France
Spanish Delfinado
  • Delfinadoformer province of France
Ukrainian Дофіне́, Дельфіна́т
  • Дофіне́ (Dofiné)former province of France
  • Дельфіна́т (Delʹfinát)former province of France
Cite this entry
APA

Dauphiné. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dauphin%C3%A9

MLA

“Dauphiné.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dauphin%C3%A9. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dauphiné,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dauphin%C3%A9.

Source: Dauphiné on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.