Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “Français” come from?

Français (French) comes from Middle French françois, from Old French françois, from Old French -ois, from Latin -ensis, from Latin arvum, from Latin colō, from Latin quelō, from Proto-Italic kʷelō — to turn.

Français (French): Frenchman; Anybody with French ancestry or who is...

Definitions

  1. Frenchman; Anybody with French ancestry or who is...

Ancestry of “Français”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle FrenchfrançoisAlternative form of françoys
2Old FrenchfrançoisFrench; the French language
3Old French-oisused to form nationalities; used to form names of...
4Latin-ensisOf or from
5Latinarvumfield; farm land
6Latincolō—
7Latinquelō—
8Proto-Italickʷelō—
9Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “Français”

  • Franse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →