Where does “oui” come from?

Oui comes from Old French oil, a contraction of Old French o il combining Latin oculus meaning "eye" with Latin ille meaning "that," ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- and al-.

oui (English): Synonym of yes

Definitions

  1. Synonym of yes

Ancestry of “oui”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchouïpast participle of ouïr
2Old FrenchoïlAlternative form of oil; yes
3Vulgar Latinocluseye; Alternative form of oculus
4LatinoculusAn eye; the power of sight; a spot resembling an...
5Proto-Italicokʷeloseye
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ókʷseye
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ekʷ-to see; eye
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ókʷs →Every word from Proto-Italic okʷelos →