Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blanc” come from?

Blanc comes from French blanc, from Middle French blanc, from Old French blanc, from Vulgar Latin blancus, from Frankish blank, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, meaning to shine or gleam.

blanc (English): A white cosmetic; A white sauce of fat, broth,...

Definitions

  1. A white cosmetic; A white sauce of fat, broth,...

Ancestry of “blanc”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchBlancwhite person
2Middle Frenchblancwhite
3Old Frenchblancwhite
4Late Latinblancuswhite
5Frankishblankbright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,...
6Proto-Germanic*blank—
7Proto-Germanicblankazbright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbhleg-to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- →