Etymology
Inherited from Middle French cauchemare, from Old French cauquemare. By surface analysis, cauque + mar. Compare Walloon tchôcmwår.
- First element from Old French cauche, from the verb chauchier (“to press”), from Latin calcare (“I trample, tread on”), from calx (“heel”), of uncertain origin.
- Second element from Frankish *marā (“evil spirit”), from Proto-West Germanic *marā, from Proto-Germanic *marǭ (“nightmare, incubus”), from Proto-Indo-European *mor- (“malicious female spirit”), from *mer- (“to die”); related to the homograph English mare. More at mare.
Noun
cauchemar m (plural cauchemars)
- nightmare
- Antonym: rêve
Je n’ai pas pu dormir hier soir parce que j’ai fait trop de cauchemars.- I couldn't sleep last night because I had too many nightmares.
C’était un rêve ou un cauchemar?- Was it a dream or a nightmare?
Il a remué toute la nuit, je crois qu’il a fait des cauchemars.- He was tossing and turning all night, I think [that] he had nightmares.
J’ai eu un accident ce matin! Je vais bien mais ça a été un vrai cauchemar!- I had an accident this morning! I'm okay but it was a true nightmare!
