French Conversation · Level 142
30 words
French word
bagne
Pronunciation
IPA/baɲ/
Meaning
- masculine nounpenal colony
Example
De nombreux prisonniers mouraient au bagne.
Many prisoners died in the penal colony.
More examples
Il a peur d'être envoyé au bagne.
He is afraid of being sent to the penal colony.
Core concept
A remote penal settlement where condemned prisoners are confined and forced to work, often on galleys or in colonies.
Similar words
prison: A facility where convicted people are held while their sentences are carried out and supervised.
camp: A place where many people gather to stay together or carry out organized work.
Definition in French
Terme historique désignant des lieux où l'on reléguait des condamnés et les soumettait à des travaux forcés, notamment sur des galères ou dans des colonies.
Word origin
French bagne comes from Italian bagno, meaning a prison, which developed from Latin balneum, meaning a bath.
Usage tips
- Bagne is masculine, so the usual phrase is au bagne, and it carries a strongly historical penal meaning rather than a modern prison meaning.
Other meanings
- penal servitudenoun
Opposites
- libertéfreedomnoun