Where does “French” come from?

French comes from Middle English Frensch, from Old English frencisc, formed with the Old English suffix -isċ meaning "of or pertaining to," from Proto-West Germanic -isk, from Proto-Germanic -iskaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iskos.

French (English): The people of France; groups of French people;...

Definitions

  1. The people of France; groups of French people;...

Ancestry of “French”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishFrench
2Old EnglishFrenċisċFrankish
3Old EnglishFrancaFrank, Frenchman; a Frank
4Proto-West Germanicfrankōspear, javelin; a Frank
5Proto-Germanicfrankôspear, javelin; a Frank
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanprAng-pole, stalk

Words derived from “French

Every word from Proto-Indo-European prAng-
French — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer