larbin

French

Etymology

Perhaps from an alteration of habin (“dog”), with agglutination of definite article.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /laʁ.bɛ̃/
  • Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):(file)
  • Audio (France (Vosges)):(file)
  • Audio (France (Vosges)):(file)

Noun

larbin m (plural larbins)

  1. (derogatory) underlabourer, servant, boy
    • 2006, Virginie Despentes, “Salut les filles”, in King Kong Théorie [King Kong Theory], Éditions Grasset, →ISBN, page 139:
      Quand vous défendez vos prérogatives de mâles, vous êtes comme ces domestiques de grands hôtels qui se prennent pour les propriétaires des lieux… des larbins arrogants, et c'est tout.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (derogatory) dogsbody, flunkey, hireling

Derived terms

Further reading

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