French Word of the Day: RDC
RDC?
Because
this acronym might help you find your way out of a French building if you are lost.
What does it mean?
RDC
- roughly pronounced RDC - may be the acronym for the central African country, known as 'DRC' or Democratic Republic of Congo in English.
But it has a more common meaning in French too, and you might see it on an invitation, an address, or when riding in an elevator.
RDC is the acronym for
rez-de-chaussée
, meaning the part of the building on the ground level, though you might occasionally also see people refer to this as the
rez-de-cour
or
rez-de-jardin.
Americans should beware that in Europe, the ground floor is either RDZ or '0' on elevators and staircases. The first floor, instead, is the first floor above the ground floor.
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For example, if you are visiting a new friend in France, they might leave instructions saying
Sonnez pour Dupont, première porte à droite, RDC
(Ring for Dupont, first door on the right on the ground level).
The word
rez-de-chaussée
has existed since the 14th century, according to the
Académie Française
. The old preposition
rez
comes from the Latin
rasus
, the past participle of
radere
, meaning to shave or polish. As for
chaussée
, linguists say that it likely came from the Latin
calciata
, referring to roads made of limestone.
Use it like this
Suivez les panneaux indiquant le bâtiment C. Le cabinet se trouve au numéro 12, RDC. -
Follow the signs to Building C. The office is located at number 12, ground floor.
J'étais perdue en cherchant sa place partout au premier étage, mais après j'ai compris qu'il avait dit RDC.
- I was lost looking for his place anywhere on the first floor, but then I realised he'd said RDC.
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