ancló

Anclé is a term that appears in French-language texts related to anchoring. In standard modern French, the past participle of the verb ancrer is ancré, which functions as an adjective meaning “anchored.” The spelling anclé is not common in contemporary usage and is generally regarded as nonstandard, a typographical variant, or encountered in historical or regional texts. When it does appear, it is usually understood as related to the concept of an anchor or fixation, but it is not the preferred form in current grammar.

Etymology and related forms: The noun ancre means anchor and derives from the older French word for anchor, itself tracing back to Latin and Greek roots (from a term akin to ancra/ankhra meaning anchor). The verb ancrer, from the same origin, means to anchor or to fix firmly. The feminine and plural forms of the past participle align with standard agreement rules in French (ancré, ancrée, ancrés, ancrées), while anclé remains a rarity in normal usage.

Usage: In nautical contexts, the standard expression is Le navire est ancré. Metaphorically, one speaks of ideas, habits, or traditions being ancrés or ancrées, meaning deeply established or fixed. The form anclé may appear in poetry, older writings, or as a spelling variant, but it is not the normative spelling in modern French.

See also: ancre, ancrage, ancrer, ancrage linguistique, anchored (translation).