Where does “ancien” come from?
ancien (Middle French) comes from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus, from Latin ante, from Ancient Greek κλίσις, from Ancient Greek -σῐς, from Ancient Greek -τις, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.
ancien (Middle French): old; previous; former
Definitions
- old; previous; former
Ancestry of “ancien”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | ancien | old; ancient |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | anteanus | old, ancient |
| 3 | Latin | ante | before, in front, forwards; before; before,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κλίσις | bending, inclination; a lying down; a place for... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -σῐς | "suffix forming nouns" |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |