# Chevauchée is French, not Scots (Chevy Chase Article) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 5, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659 "2004-10-05T16:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Candy\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Candy\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candy_Lover)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/1 "2004-10-05T16:10:50Z")
Relating to the new Staff Report [Who or what is Chevy Chase?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mchevychase.html): There is a statement contained in the report from a website that is maintained by or on behalf of Chevy Chase Village in Maryland which is incorrect. It says, > [@](#): > > It has historic associations to a 1388 battle between Lord Percy of England and Earl Douglas of Scotland. At issue in this “chevauchee” (a Scottish word describing a border raid) were hunting grounds or a “chace" in the Cheviot Hills of Northumberland and Otterburn. “Chevauchée” is not a Scottish term at all. It is a French word meaning “ride (on horseback)” derived from the verb _chevaucher_, to straddle, to ride on horseback. It was used in the 14th Century to describe the long raids engaged in by relatively small bands of mounted warriors through the French countryside by the English during the Hundred Years War, principally the tactics employed by Edward III and his son in the late 1340’s and the 1350’s. The warriors would ride through the countryside in great sweeping loops, taking what they needed for sustenance from the countryside, and laying waste as they went. Thus, they went for a “ride.” ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/2 "2004-10-05T19:12:55Z")
While chevauchée is undoubtedly of French origin, I have seen it used often enough in English to consider it a valid English word as well. It’s likely that it is equally valid in Scots, given the large number of French terms incorporated into that language from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/3 "2004-10-06T05:19:04Z")
In 1967, in college, I got to know a charming lady from Chevy Chase, Maryland. She explained that folks there call it “Chubby Chase.” She also said that Baltimore is pronounced “BAL-deh-mer.” She might have been telling me the truth. Hell, a charming dame from Maryland could have said anything to a young tall Hoosier, and been believed. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/4 "2004-10-06T05:24:07Z")
Is the French pronunciation of _chevauchée_ anything like the pronunciation of the name of the designer Givenchy? (spelling uncertain) ---
**Author:** ![Asteroide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@Asteroide](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asteroide)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/5 "2004-10-06T05:47:33Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Is the French pronunciation of _chevauchée_ anything like the pronunciation of the name of the designer Givenchy? (spelling uncertain) Not really the same - _chevauchée_ ends in a ‘shay’ kind of sound, Givenchy ends in a ‘shee’ kind of sound. All the ‘ch’ sounds are pronounced as in ‘shh’ though. Now what _I_ want to know is, what’s the connection between **Chevrolet** and goats… ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/6 "2004-10-06T08:10:25Z")
> [@Asteroide](#): > > Now what _I_ want to know is, what’s the connection between **Chevrolet** and goats… “See the USA in your goat!” doesn’t have quite the same ring… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/7 "2004-10-06T10:15:00Z")
Many of the Scots nobility of the period spoke just as much French as Scots and the two countries had a close alliance, principally against the English. It’s therefore very plausable that the French military term was adopted into the language and used by Scots. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevauchee-is-french-not-scots-chevy-chase-article/267659/8 "2004-10-07T09:45:25Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > She also said that Baltimore is pronounced “BAL-deh-mer.” She might have been telling me the truth. Hell, a charming dame from Maryland could have said anything to a young tall Hoosier, and been believed. 😉 The transliteration I’ve always seen is “Bawlmer,” or (if you get the state in there) “Bawlmer, Merlin.”