Cannot understand French phrase - help please! Solved!

[nat11911]

Hi all.

I have in my possession a letter (in French) dated 1745 from a soldier to a Monsieur Icard, Marchant de Vain [vin presumably], in Bordeaux, but I cannot make sense of part of the address - porte dix gaux.

Gate 10 …? Or something else? The ‘gaux’ may be a colloquialism I’m not familiar with – can anyone offer any suggestions please?

Thank you! 

Chris

[Liam59]

Found this link:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gaux

Online translation gives the meaning as :
Noun gaux (m)
plural of gau
etymology: the term gaux, allocated to the rue des gaux in trazegnies -_Belgique can be the subject of a bet. In the event of a losing bet, the person must exchange his house with the person who wins the said bet

[Mike in Cumbria]

I wonder whether this is porter, the verb, rather than porte, the noun.

If so, it would be saying that M. Icar, Bordeaux wine merchant carries ten gaux to the ramparts in Bordeaux.

There is some odd repetition, so it may be a draft rather than a finished letter. and yes, "vain" is an old spelling of vin.  I have no idea what a gau is, though.

Mike

[nat11911]

Thanks Liam - afraid that I've been unable to Google anything that fits 'gau' or 'gaux', noun or otherwise.

Thanks Mike - hopefully it isn't 'porter/carry' as I much prefer the rather dramatic address of 'on the ramparts at the gates of Bordeaux'  , which I really hope he's trying to say (if only I could fit in the 'gaux' somehow). No, it isn't a draft, as the letter includes a full 2 pages of text describing actions, battles etc. the writer's been involved in.

[jayaygee]

Just a thought and it’s probably a bit farfetched, but I did wonder if it might be a reference to the present day Porte de Dijeaux which apparently was indeed in the city walls.  According to Wikipedia, it has been known by at least these other names in the past:

De Giu – Dijeu – Dijeus – Digaus

the last one being the most interesting.  I have no idea of what gascon pronunciation would have been like, but spelling was often phonetic.  Two possible origins for the name can be found here:

http://www.divagations-et-balades.com/article-la-porte-dijeaux-117218570.html

and the Wikepedia article is also worth reading.

Judith

[nat11911]

Judith - I think you might have cracked it! Google has found that:

'The Dijeaux gate was a stone entrance to the west of the city of Bordeaux from Roman times and the first line of fortification...'. That has to be it!

I'm used to experimenting with spelling quirks in the English language, but I didn't try it with this one.

You're a star - thanks! 

Chris

[Mike in Cumbria]

Well done - good find.