huissier

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French huissier. Doublet of usher and possibly ostiary.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈwiːsjeɪ/

Noun

huissier (plural huissiers)

  1. (archaic) A doorman in France.
    • 1982 February 15, William Safire, “ESSAY; FRANCE'S IDEA MAN”, in The New York Times[1]:
      That is because the huissier cannot lead anyone in to see the President of France without first passing through the adjacent office of Jacques Attali.
    • 1999 February 23, Joan Dupont, “From Out of Purgatory, a French Musical Hit”, in The New York Times[2]:
      A chorus of five huissiers, or ushers, line up in a row, like sleek crows cawing out comments on the machinations of their masters.
  2. (historical) A huissier de justice, an officer of the court in various European countries roughly similar to a British bailiff.

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French ussier, from uis (door) + -ier (suffix denoting occupation), or inherited from Latin ostiārius. Doublet of ostiaire.

Pronunciation

  • (mute h) IPA(key): /ɥi.sje/

Noun

huissier m (plural huissiers, feminine huissière)

  1. an usher, particularly:
    1. (archaic, ceremonial or literary) a doorman
    2. (law) ellipsis of huissier de justice, an officer of the court in various European countries roughly similar to a British bailiff

Descendants

  • English: huissier
  • Romanian: ușier (calque)
  • Tamil: உச்சே (uccē)

Further reading