Where does “Frank” come from?
Frank (German) comes from Old High German Franko, from Proto-West Germanic frankō, from Proto-Germanic frankô, from Proto-Indo-European prAng- — pole, stalk.
Ancestry of “Frank”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | Franko | a Frank; Frank |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | frankō | spear, javelin; a Frank |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | frankô | spear, javelin; a Frank |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | prAng- | pole, stalk |