Where does “ancien” come from?
ancien (French) comes from Middle French ancien, from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus, from Latin ante, from Ancient Greek κλίσις, from Ancient Greek -σῐς, from Ancient Greek -τις, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.
ancien (French): old, former, ex-; ancient
Definitions
- old, former, ex-; ancient
Ancestry of “ancien”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | ancien | old; previous; former |
| 2 | Old French | ancien | old; ancient |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | anteanus | old, ancient |
| 4 | Latin | ante | before, in front, forwards; before; before,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κλίσις | bending, inclination; a lying down; a place for... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -σῐς | "suffix forming nouns" |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |