Etymology

From Middle French cauchemare, from Old French cauquemare; composed of two elements, cauche +‎ mar.

• First element cauche, from Old French verb from cache, from cauchier ‎(“to press”), from Latin calcō ‎(“trample, tread on”).
• Second element mar, from Middle Dutch mare ‎(“phantom, spirit, nightmare”), from Proto-Germanic *marǭ ‎(“nightmare, incubus”), from Proto-Indo-European *mor- ‎(“malicious female spirit”), related to English homograph mare. More at mare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔʃ.maʁ/, /koʃ.maʁ/^[1]
• Homophone: cauchemars
• Hyphenation: cauche‧mar