Where does “avant” come from?

Avant comes from French avant, the first element of avant-garde, ultimately deriving from Latin abante, ab meaning "from," and a Proto-Indo-European root wer- meaning "to turn."

avant (English): The front of an army; the vanguard

Definitions

  1. The front of an army; the vanguard

Ancestry of “avant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishavant-gardeThe vanguard of an army or other force; Any group...
2Frenchavant-gardevanguard; avant-garde, firing line
3Old Frenchavantgarde—
Every word from Old French avantgarde →Every word from French avant-garde →Every word from English avant-garde →