Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “frank” come from?

Frank comes from Old French franc, from Latin Francus, from Frankish Frank, from Proto-Germanic frankô, from Proto-Indo-European prAng-.

frank (English): honest, especially in a manner that seems...

Definitions

  1. honest, especially in a manner that seems...

Ancestry of “frank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old FrenchfrancFrench; free; noble; of noble descent
2LatinFrancusFrank; Frank, French; a Frank
3FrankishFrankoa Frank
4Proto-Germanicfrankôspear, javelin; a Frank
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanprAng-pole, stalk

Words derived from “frank”

  • frankly
  • frankness
  • franking
  • franker
  • frankable
  • unfrank
  • unfrankly
  • unfrankness
  • unfrankable
  • frank-marriage
  • franksome
Every word from Proto-Indo-European prAng- →