Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “sous-bois” come from?

sous-bois (French) comes from French bois, from Middle French boys, from Old French bois, from Frankish busk, from Proto-Germanic buskaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

sous-bois (French): underbrush

Definitions

  1. underbrush

Ancestry of “sous-bois”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchboiswood; wood, woodland; antler
2Middle Frenchboyswood
3Old Frenchboiswoodland; woods
4Frankishbuskbush; bush, thicket
5Proto-Germanicbuskazbush; thicket
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →