Where does “franc” come from?
franc (French) comes from Middle French franc, from Old French Franc, from Latin francus, from Frankish frank, from Proto-Germanic frankô, from Proto-Indo-European prAng- — pole, stalk.
franc (French): free; frank; full
Ancestry of “franc”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | franc | franc; noble |
| 2 | Old French | Franc | — |
| 3 | Latin | francus | franc; a Frenchman; Frank, of or pertaining to... |
| 4 | Frankish | frank | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | frankô | spear, javelin; a Frank |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | prAng- | pole, stalk |
Words derived from “franc”