Where does “mont Blanc” come from?
mont Blanc (French) comes from French blanc, from Middle French blanc, from Old French blanc, from Late Latin blancus, from Frankish blank, from Proto-Germanic *blank, from Proto-Germanic blankaz, from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- — to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch.
mont Blanc (French): Mont Blanc
Definitions
- Mont Blanc
Ancestry of “mont Blanc”, step by step
mont Blanc traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French blanc
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | blanc | white color; blank, unused; blank, without... |
| 2 | Middle French | blanc | white |
| 3 | Old French | blanc | white |
| 4 | Late Latin | blancus | white |
| 5 | Frankish | blank | bright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *blank | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | blankaz | bright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bhleg- | to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch |
via French mont
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | mont | mountain, mount, mont; the Alps |
| 2 | Old French | mont | mountain; Alternative form of monde |
| 3 | Latin | montem | accusative singular of mōns; mountain |
| 4 | Latin | mons | mountain, mount; towering mass, heap, great... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | monti | — |
| 6 | Portuguese | Monte | mount; a mountain or large hill |
| 7 | Old Portuguese | monte | — |