LÉtrange

Létrange is a French construction formed from the definite article l’ and the adjective étrange, literally translating to “the strange.” In general usage it can function as a noun phrase referring to the phenomenon of strangeness or as a stylistic label in titles, essays, or artistic discourse. It is not a fixed technical term in standard French, but it appears in literary and critical contexts to evoke unfamiliarity, otherness, or oddness.

Etymology wise, étrange derives from Old French estrange or estrangier, itself from Latin extrānum “outside, foreign.” The elision with l’ occurs before a vowel, producing l’étrange. The sense of the word has long included notions of foreignness as well as peculiarity or mystery.

In cultural and literary contexts, l’étrange is associated with themes of otherness and the uncanny. It can be used to describe or analyze how works unsettled readers by presenting the unfamiliar within the familiar, a concern that echoes traditions in Gothic fiction, surrealism, and phenomenological or psychoanalytic criticism.

Modern usage tends to be metaphorical or titular rather than lexical. As a label, l’étrange may appear in titles of works, exhibitions, or artistic projects to signal a mood or aesthetic rather than to denote a specific, fixed concept. There is no single canonical definition of létrange; instead, it functions as a flexible cue for exploring what lies beyond the ordinary.

See also: estrangement, the uncanny, l’Autre.