voyageur
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who transports goods and passengers by boat: In Canadian history, a "voyageur" was a French-Canadian or Métis boatman who transported furs and other goods between trading posts, especially in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River regions.
- A boatman or canoeman: More broadly, a "voyageur" refers to a person who works as a boatman, particularly in the context of the fur trade in North America.
Usage Examples
- (A French-Canadian boatman transporting goods across difficult waters.)
- (Historical fur trade workers.)
Advanced Usage
- "Voyageur" as a cultural symbol: In modern Canadian culture, the term is used to celebrate the heritage of early fur traders and explorers.
- The annual voyageur festival features canoe races and historical reenactments. (A cultural event honouring the historical boatmen.)
Variants and Related Words
- Voyage (n): a long journey, especially by sea or through unfamiliar territory.
- The voyage across the Atlantic took several weeks. (A long journey.)
- Voyager (n): a person who makes a long journey, especially by sea or through space.
- The space voyager explored distant planets. (A traveler in a broader sense.)
Synonyms
- Canoeman: a person who paddles a canoe, especially for transport or trade.
- Boatman: a person who operates or works on a boat.
- Trader: a person who buys and sells goods, often over long distances (though this is broader, as voyageurs also traded).
Related Idioms
- "To be a voyageur at heart": To have a spirit of adventure and love for travel and wilderness.
- She is a voyageur at heart, always seeking new trails and rivers. (She has an adventurous soul.)
- "Voyageur's path": A route or journey that is difficult but rewarding.
- The hike up the mountain was a voyageur's path, testing both endurance and courage. (A challenging journey.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Voyage out: to set out on a journey, especially by water.
- The voyageur voyage out from Montreal in early spring. (He began his canoe trip.)
- Voyage through: to travel across or through a region.
- They voyage through the wilderness for months. (They traveled across the wild terrain.)