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ber·ceuse

(bĕr-sœz)

n. pl. ber·ceuses(-sœz)

1. A lullaby.

2. A soothing musical composition, usually in 6/8 time.

[French, from feminine of berceur, cradle rocker, from bercer, to rock, from Vulgar Latin *bertiāre, of Gaulish origin; akin to Old Irish bertaid, he shakes, brandishes, from bert, load, burden, from beirid, he carries; see bher-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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