Where does “oui” come from?
oui (French) comes from Old French oïl, from Vulgar Latin oclus, from Latin oculus, from Proto-Italic okʷelos, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ókʷs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- — to see; eye.
oui (French): past participle of ouïr
Ancestry of “oui”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | oïl | Alternative form of oil; yes |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | oclus | eye; Alternative form of oculus |
| 3 | Latin | oculus | An eye; the power of sight; a spot resembling an... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | okʷelos | eye |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ókʷs | eye |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ekʷ- | to see; eye |