Faubourg is an ancient French term approximating "suburb" (now generally termed banlieue). The earliest form is Forsbourg, derived from Latin foris, 'out of', and Vulgur Latin (originally Germanic) burgum, 'town' or 'fortress'. Traditionally, this name was given to an agglomeration forming around a throughway leading outwards from a city gate, and usually took the name of the same thoroughfare within the city.

Paris

Many Parisian streets have retained their ancient denomination in spite of city growth; today it is still possible to discern pre-1860 delimitations in Paris by marking the point where a thoroughfare's name changes from rue to rue du faubourg. For instance, the rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis used to be located outside of the city wall and was an extension of the rue Saint-Denis within the walls. The rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré came about in a similar manner.

New Orleans

The term was also used in the early expansion of New Orleans beyond the original city plan, when French was still a common language in the colonial city. Faubourg Tremé and Faubourg Marigny, two of the oldest neighborhoods outside of the French Quarter, are persistent examples. Another early example was Faubourg St. Mary, a commercial district, which developed into the modern Central Business District.

Montreal

The Greater Montreal no longer has any actual faubourgs on the main island, as the suburb now refers to the North and South Shores. However, placenames like le Faubourg St-Laurent is still occasionally used to refer to the sections of Ville-Marie.

Furthermore, the term des faubourgs de Montréal ("the Montreal suburbs") is preserved in some placenames within the city proper, such as the various annexes (branches) of the École des Métiers des Faubourgs-de-Montréal. There was also a Caisse des Faubourgs de Montréal in The Village, which in 2003 was closed down .

See also

• Vorstadt, the German equivalent

References