La Chouette !

‘Chouette’ is indeed an interesting word in the French lexicon. Although the word by itself is just the French name for a now famous nocturnal bird made famous by the Harry Potter series, it has a much deeper symbolism and significance in French language and culture.

To the French, the word Chouette does not usually symbolize the Owl. Rather, it is more commonly used as a phrase. Ohh and by the way, the word is pronounced as ‘Shwet’. Interestingly, Chouette does indeed rhyme and resonate with the English word ‘Sweet’!  The phrase does, in fact, imply that something is: Cool or Awesome.

The phrase is believed to have first evolved around the Middle Ages from a now lost verb in the French Language – choeter – which meant to act trendy or smart. However, you would probably not find this word in the modern French language. It is rather easy to note the similarity between the structure and the pronunciation of the verb ‘choeter’ and the noun ‘chouette’. So, no points for noting the rather simple attribution. However, the first documented usage of the phrase ‘chouette’ to describe someone or something as cool or awesome had to wait till it was used by the French Renaissance write Francois Rabelais when he described his wife as une belle petite chouette (a small beautiful owl).

The owl also has a deeper symbolistic influence on the French culture. Primarily, these nocturnal apex predators are viewed as being sophisticated, clean and elegant. It is of course, hard to disagree with the keen eyes of the French on this one, because owls do have a rather dignified and beautiful appearance. Historically, owls have been associated with several symbolistic connotations. In ancient Greece the Owl was the symbol for Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy, who was the patron deity of the city of Athens. In Indian mythology, the it is the vahana or vehicle for the Goddess of Wealth – Laxmi. Further, in medieval European societies, this wonderful bird was associated with feminism and fertility. However, several societies have also associated the Owl with death and misery. As nocturnal predators, owls do have an air of mystery about them which probably gives them much significance in occultic practices and rituals across cultures. Needless to say, like every other object used for symbolism, the owl ranges from the benign and beautiful to the malevolent and grotesque in all societies and civilizations around the world.

So, what better a word to use for a blog which will delve into French language and culture than one which is both a noun and a standalone phrase. Much like the bird itself, the phrase is elegant in its simplicity yet intriguing in its origins.

En Fin - La Chouette, c’est chouette !