Where does “bois” come from?

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

Ancestry of “bois”, step by step

bois traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French bois

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchboiswoodland; woods
2Frankishbuskbush; bush, thicket
3Proto-Germanicbuskazbush; thicket
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

via Old French bosc

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchboscwood, firewood; area planted with trees
2Frankishboskwood; bush
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic buskaz →Every word from Frankish busk →