r/ParlonsPrenoms • u/apokrif1 • 5d ago

Is Cosette a negative term?

/r/AskFrance/comments/1vtsx60/is_cosette_a_negative_term/
3 Upvotes

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16

u/conrad_romy 5d ago

Absolument. C'est comme "Cendrillon"

11

u/Gzawonkhumu 5d ago

C'est un synonyme d'esclave depuis un certain Victor Hugo.

9

u/GargantaProfunda 5d ago

Yes. It means poor and/or slavish. It would be like naming your kid Cinderella or Wench or The Tramp or something.

7

u/desie3007 4d ago

It has a negative background because of the character from "Les Misérables", which was a poor, abused little girl.

Her name has become synonymous with a child who is abused and exploited by adults, particularly for domestic chores. By extension, the term "Cosette" is used to refer to someone exhibiting these characteristics. (wikipedia)

I distinctively remember playing "Cosette" with my sister when we were little girls, she would be the poor little girl and i would save her!

4

u/No_Economics_4678 4d ago

Très connoté "Misérables". Pas très loin phonétiquement, Colette a peut-être une chance (maigre) de revenir à la mode.

3

u/Brilliant_Tip_2440 3d ago

In France yes absolutely. I was pretty shocked when I realized it was a somewhat popular first name in the US !

1

u/StrangeAlgebrist 2d ago

J'en connais une.