merveille

Merveille is a French noun meaning "wonder" or "marvel," used to describe something that causes astonishment or to refer to miraculous events. The word derives from Old French merveile or merveielle and traces further back to Latin mirabilia, “wonderful things,” related to the verb mirari, “to marvel.”

In modern French, the common noun is merveille. When capitalized as Merveille, it can function as a proper name, most often seen as a surname and in toponyms or brand names in Francophone contexts.

The term is widely used in everyday language and literature to express admiration or surprise, in phrases such as quelle merveille or une merveille de X. It also forms the basis of related adjectives like merveilleux ("marvellous" or "wonderful"), and connects to expressions like faire des merveilles ("to work wonders").

In English, the direct equivalents are "marvel" or "wonder." As a proper name, Merveille can appear in personal names or place names, though such uses are less common than the everyday noun.