Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “louis” come from?

louis (French) comes from Middle French Loïs, from Old French Looïs, from Latin Ludovīcus, from Old High German Hlūtwīg, from Proto-West Germanic Hlūdawīg, from Proto-West Germanic hlūd, from Proto-Germanic hlūdaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlewtos — to cover; to incline.

louis (French): A louis: various gold and silver coins issued by...

Definitions

  1. A louis: various gold and silver coins issued by...

Ancestry of “louis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle FrenchLoïs—
2Old FrenchLooïs—
3LatinLudovīcus—
4Old High GermanHlūtwīg—
5Proto-West GermanicHlūdawīg—
6Proto-West Germanichlūdloud; sound
7Proto-Germanichlūdazloud; famous
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱlewtosheard, famous
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱlew-to hear
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “louis”

  • louis
  • lew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →